The Third's Will
by PrinceMittens
Summary: Twelve years after the sealing of the Nine-tails, the Fourth Hokage wakes up in Konoha's T&I building. Everyone is older. Everything's changed. Time Capsule AU.
1. (0) Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters in this fic. That would be Kishimoto and co. Now if only I had named myself Kishimoto instead of PrinceMittens.. TAT

* * *

In the middle of a dark forest, a massive, Chakra-infused paw thundered into the ground. The earth trembled in a ten-kilometer radius. Red tails whipped through the air, throwing immense cyclones tearing through the woods, uprooting even the largest trees from their holdings.

Kurama was on the run. Dead Shinobi littered the trail of destruction behind him. Having been trapped for nearly a hundred years, the Nine-tail's moment of freedom would have been an occasion to celebrate if it weren't so ruined by having his mind and body enslaved to the damnable Uchiha and its thrice-accursed Sharingan.

The Fox grit its teeth in anger. _I'm gonna wipe out that shitty clan and their shitty eyes._

He could sense hundreds of Shinobi coming toward him from the direction of Konoha. In fact, the first wave was about to reach him at jutsu distance. They probably wanted to capture and seal him back into the Uzumaki girl's body. Not a chance.

For all the Fox's overwhelming power and stature, the pursuing Shinobi did not falter. Leaping high in to the air and bouncing off trees and debris with Chakra-supported balance, the ninja manage to avoid the worst of the otherwise devastating seismic upheavals. Even the powerful cyclones sent to impede them were simply redirected by exceptional wind-jutsu users.

It appeared this particular squad was a lot stronger than the others - must be ANBU. He could sense Kushina's lover from among them. Thoughts of the red-head's sheer anguish and sorrow at the sight of a very dead Namikaze Minato flashed through the Fox's mind. Kurama grinned.

" **COME IF YOU DARE!** " Roared the legendary Fox. Its voice thundered all the way back into the distant village. Almost all the villagers, civilian and ninja alike, trembled at its power.

Eight kilometers from the village, the Fourth Hokage and his squad were about to reach the slow-moving nine-tails. If it weren't for its lumbering size, the ninja would never have been able to outpace this beast of seemingly limitless Chakra. As they reached the Eye of the massive storm of devastation, the Hokage signaled the squad to stop. For the second time since they'd begun the chase, the Fourth turned to his wife who was being carried on the back of an ox-masked ANBU. "We're about to approach the Nine-tails. At such close proximity, I'm not sure even our best could fend off its offensive prowess. Please, Kushina, turn back. "

Still weak from childbirth, Kushina shook her head lightly. "I've known the Nine-tails for nearly twenty years now. If anyone can calm its fury and mitigate the damage it could do to the world, it's me. We've already discussed this, Minato. For the safety of our village and all the villages and people of this world, the Nine-tails must be sealed, and he must be stopped. The Nine-tails is essential to this process. I am essential to this process. I must go. Besides, I want to stay with you as long as possible for these last moments we have together."

Minato looked away. He spoke quietly, "If anything were to happen to you-"

"I know. It can't be helped." The redhead uttered softly.

The Fourth Hokage suddenly shook his head and turned to the waiting Fox with renewed determination. Then he turned to the old Third Hokage who was standing with them. "Hiruzen. you know what we are about to do. Make sure that my son is remembered as a hero and not feared and hated for being a Jinchuuriki."

The God of Shinobi nodded. "I shall."

Minato bowed his head. "That's all I ask." Turning to his squad, he nodded. "You know what to do."

The squad spoke in unison. "Yes, Hokage sama."

Up half a kilometer ahead, the Nine-tails could be seen looking toward the squad's direction. Its powerful ears had managed to pick up the exchange happening before it. With its curiosity peaked, the Fox had temporarily stopped its assault to listen to what the Fourth Hokage had to say to its former jailer.

Within a matter of seconds, the squad stood before the indomitable Fox. Kurama's grin was maddening. " **You aren't just going to let me go are you?** "

"No, we aren't." The Fourth replied. "Nine-tails, your power and your malice is too much a danger to the world to be allowed to roam free. We have no choice."

" **Then we are done talking.** " The Fox lashed an immense cord of chakra straight down onto where the squad was standing, creating a massive trench. The earth shook from the heavy blow.

Kurama's second blow was deflected by the powerful third Hokage, who had to concentrate an unhealthy large amount of chakra into his staff in order to weather the crushing blow. Suddenly the Fox felt a heavy, restraining force hold it down. Gritting its teeth, the Nine-tails lifted a gigantic rod fall across its back. _The Third Hokage's summon.._ the Fox thought angrily. The monkey leapt to retrieve its shrinking staff and muttered a few words. A mountain bore down on the powerful bijuu.

" **WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?!** " Kurama roared. With a show of power, the Fox whipped its tails around in all its glory, crushing the mountain. Bits of rock and dust showered onto the Earth, bouncing harmlessly off the Fox's pelt. Then, with a flare of Chakra that would later be felt in distant villages, the Nine-tails shattered the Third Hokage's Genjutsu.

Only then did the Fox notice that Kushina and the Fourth were no longer there. No wonder he didn't sense the redheaded Uzumaki earlier. She was never there to begin with.

Surrounding him on all sides, the squad that came with the Fourth had managed to position themselves around the massive creature while it was under the Third's Genjutsu. They were about to use the most Chakra-intensive instance of the flying thunder-god to transport the Fox to the target location specified to them by the Hokage.

One of the ANBU, a rabbit-masked girl, said quietly, "For the village."

The Fox and the squad disappeared with the Third Hokage looking on. The rest was up to Minato and Kushina. Although they had all planned for the worst at this final stage, the Third Hokage couldn't help but hope that somehow both Minato and Kushina would survive the Nine-tail's resealing.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Several kilometers behind the Hokage monument, a small infant lay in a swath of blankets.

Kushina smiled as she looked down at her son, who lay in the center of the sealing array they had prepared for the occasion.

"Naruto. Don't be picky. Eat lots and grow strong. Make sure that you bathe every day and stay warm.

Also.. Don't stay up late. You need lots of sleep. And make friends. You don't need a lot of friends. Just a few. Ones you can really, really trust..

I wasn't very good at it, but keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard. Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses. So don't get too depressed if you can't do something well..

Respect your teachers and upperclassmen at the Academy. Oh, and this is important.. It's about the Three Prohibitions for a shinobi..

Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money. Put your mission wages into your savings account..

No alcohol until you're twenty. Too much can ruin your health, so drink in moderation..

Another Prohibition is women.

I'm a woman, so I don't know too much about this but. All you need to remember is that this world is made up of men and women. So it's only natural to take an interest in girls. But just don't get hooked on bad women.

Find someone just like me..

Speaking of the Three Prohibitions, be wary of Jiraiya Sensei, you know. Naruto, from now on, you're going to face lots of pain and hardship..

Be true to yourself.. Have a dream and have the confidence to make that dream come true.."

Kushina's voice faltered with a sob.

"There's so much.. Oh, so much more that I want to pass on to you.. I wish I could stay with you longer.. I love you."

The redhead looked up at her husband who had appeared during the latter end of her speech. His expression was inscrutable.

"They're coming, Kushina. I hope you're ready."

The redhead nodded. "I am."

Their eyes met and Kushina smiled before falling into a bout of coughs. Blood dribbled down her chin. Her internal organs and Chakra system were irreparably damaged by the birth and the Nine-tails' escape. No Jinchuuriki had ever survived having a Bijuu torn out of its grasps. Not only was the woman frail from childbirth, even with proper medical care, her odds of survival were abysmal. As it stood, it was only her strong will and the Uzumaki's amazing regenerative powers that were keeping her alive.

Uzumaki Kushina was dying.

Without warning, the Nine-tails appeared before them along with the squad responsible for its appearance. Every single one of them were dead from Chakra depletion. Not even given a second to regain its bearings, Gamabunta, who Minato had summoned beforehand, jumped on top of the Fox, pinning the monster's head into the earth with its fork.

Kurama snarled." **YONNNNDAIIIMMMEE!** "

Gamabunta struggled, and barely managed to hold on.

Swiftly, the Fourth activated the Eight Trigram Seal. "Hakke Fuin."

The Fox widened its eyes in despair. Ethereal chains flew from the belly of the blonde infant before it and bound it in an unbreakable hold. Kurama glared at the blonde Hokage. The hatred in his eyes were unmistakable.

" **RELEASE ME AND YOUR DEATH SHALL BE SWIFT AND PAINLESS.** "

Ignoring the belligerent behemoth, the Fourth turned to his wife. "The Nine-tails' Chakra is too much for the seal. I'm going to have to split it in two. There's only one way I know of that can do this."

Kushina's eyes widened in horror. A lump formed in her throat. "The Dead Demon Consuming Seal."

Minato nodded. "We'd already guessed that this might've been the case. The Nine-tails is powerful."

Kushina sobbed. "No, not you too." She wanted to cry. It was so unfair. Here was the most wonderful man in the world sacrificing his life and soul and for what? Why couldn't someone else do it? Why him? Why did he have to die?

Questions flooded her mind. Naruto was supposed to have a father.

Kushina gulped. "But I could-"

"No you can't." the Fourth cut in. "Your chakra system is all but destroyed. No one else knows how to cast it yet."

His voice softened at his wife's apparent anguish. "It can't be helped. I love you Kushina. The village-"

"Fuck the village." Kushina blurted in an unconventional bout of vulgarity. "Please. I want you to live. Why does it have to be you?"

Minato hopped over his son toward his wife, and gave her a hug. Kushina cried into his shoulders. Her lungs were on fire. Every Chakra point crushing her nerves and her ability to stay conscious. Despite her pain, Kushina fought desperately to remain alive. To convince her husband to not do this. She knew that it was hopeless. She knew that without this sacrifice, her son would likely be killed by the evil known as the Nine-tails. She knew that Konoha would be destroyed and that many more would suffer.

Kushina reached up to cup Minato's cheeks in her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'm proud of you Minato. I know you're being strong for me. You don't have to be. I understand. I love you more than you can ever imagine."

Minato smiled, giving his wife a quick peck on her forehead. "And I you." He turned to his son. "Goodbye Naruto. Remember your mother's words. I hope-" he paused, choking back tears. "I hope you live a long and happy life even without us to be there for you."

Kushina pulled her husband toward her and the couple shared a last kiss before the Fourth gently detached himself from his wife to face the Nine-tails. Kurama, enthralled by the drama, had sat through the entire scene without visibly struggling. Whether or not he knew it to be true, Kurama had a lot more interest in the lives of the 'petty' humans before him than he'd ever be willing to admit.

" **You cannot seal me.** " He argued. " **Let me go. If I break free on my own, I swear that your village and all its people will be wiped clean off the face of this planet. Let me go. _Now!_** "

The Fourth Hokage shook his head. "I cannot." He made several hand seals for the Dead Demon Consuming Technique, clapping his hands together for the final seal. " _Shika Fuin_."

A massive Shinigami loomed out of the ground and plucked Minato's soul from his body. The Hokage chuckled. "That was a lot easier than I thought." His body slumped to the floor, no longer housing his soul. The last thing he saw was Kushina smiling at him, giving him her tacit approval while tears continued to stream down her porcelain cheeks. "Good bye, Minato.. Naruto.." Kushina collapsed, closing her eyes one last time as she succumbed to the pain and exhaustion that she had been feeling since the Nine-tails had been ripped out of her body.

The Nine-tails struggled valiantly, but to no avail. If he had had more time, he could have overloaded the seal with his Chakra and broken its hold, but time was something he did not have. If only the little couple could have dragged out their farewell just a little bit longer. The Fox sighed. Being trapped under the power of the Eight Trigram seal, it couldn't do anything but watch as the Shinigami tore its Chakra in two and sealed it along with the soul of the Fourth Hokage.

" **Well shit..** " muttered the powerful beast.

With its power and consciousness cut in two, the Nine-tails could no longer hold the Eight Trigram seal at bay. The Bijuu was instantly funneled into the small, infant body of baby Naruto.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The Third arrived with Hatake Kakashi and a small squad of ANBU in tow. Quickly analyzing the situation, the former Kage took command.

"Check to see if any of them are still alive. Secure the boy. His Jinchuuriki status and his parentage must be kept hidden. Consider this an S-ranked secret until further notice."

Seconds later, the team of ANBU returned with a small bundle in their arms..

"Sandaime sama.." Reported a pig-masked woman.

The Third urged her on in trepidation. "Go on."

"The boy lives. The others are dead, and the Nine-tails is gone."

The Third nodded. He had been expecting the worst. "Good work. Take the boy to the hospital. Get him under care. Prepare orphanage registrations for him. Leave the bodies to me."

Without a word, she raced in the direction of Konoha with the rest of the ANBU squad following closely behind. Kakashi remained.

After several moments, they arrived at the scene. Seeing the bodies of both the Fourth and his wife on the floor, he would have fallen into grief if not for his years of Shinobi experience and training. "Things ended up worse than I thought they would. If only we had more time to plan this out, maybe we could have averted all these casualties." croaked the Third Hokage.

Kakashi simply stood next to him, staring in wide-eyed disbelief at the husks of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.

"I've failed them." The boy whispered as the rest of the squad left the scene.

"No," the Third stated grimly. "There was nothing you could have done."

Kakashi clenched his fists angrily. "Why am I so weak?"

The Third put a hand on the boy's shoulders. "You are not weak. If you had not strove to do your utmost. If it weren't for your will of fire, the outcome would undoubtedly have been much worse. We've managed to avert the worst of the crisis. The village is saved but at the cost of many lives. All who served this night are heroes, and that includes you."

The Third paused for a second. "We'll have to put these bodies in temporary storage and carry them back. You remember how to do that don't you?"

Kakashi nodded.

The Third continued. "I'll take care of Minato." And with that the two set to work.

As the Third was preparing the seals for the Fourth, a sudden thought occurred to him. Minato's body was in perfect condition. He was absolutely certain that the man could be revived if his soul were returned to his body. _I'll have to preserve the body somehow._

The Third gazed apologetically at the young Hatake as he was drawing up Kushina's body-scroll. It was best if the boy didn't know of these plans. Knowing him, Kakashi would make releasing Minato's soul his life-mission and lose sight of himself. It would be cruel to give him false hope.

The Third skillfully drew the storage seal of indefinite preservation and infused a permanent portion of his Chakra into it. At the same time, the Third laid out a second scroll with his other hand, and he drew out the more generic body storage scroll. Then, with a silent jutsu, he infused the scroll with a perfect copy of the Fourth's body. It was done. The old man gave Kakashi a quick glance. Now all he had to do was master the Dead Demon Consuming Seal and see if he could make any progress in retrieving the Fourth's soul.

All this happened in less than 10 seconds. Kakashi was still working on Kushina's body scroll. The Third got up slowly and stretched his tired bones before making his way to the bodies of the Fourth's personal ANBU detachment.

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

1/6/2016 - Apparently I was a terrible writer when I started out. I alternated between past and present tense like it didn't matter. Now.. now I know better. I'm on the path to becoming a better writer!


	2. (0) Deception

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have ten toes. Haven't lost a single one.

* * *

The day after the funeral ceremonies, Hiruzen sat in the Hokage's office dressed in Hokage garb, and unfurled the scroll he had retrieved from the Forbidden Jutsu archives.

' _**-**_ _**The Dead Demon Consuming Seal -**_

 _The Dead Demon Consuming Seal is a sealing technique created by the Ancestors of the Uzumaki clan. It enlists the power of the God of Death, and, at the cost of the user's soul, can be used to seal anything of equal or lesser value. It is uncertain how the original Uzumaki were able to solicit the Shinigami to their will, and the terms of the contract to this jutsu is unknown. The value of a soul can only be gauged by the Shinigami alone. Users can find themselves only able to seal a fraction of what they intend to seal. When called upon to seal the soul of another being, the Shinigami allows for a contest of power and will. If the user is weaker than his or her target, then it is entirely possible that the user will be unable to seal that target. All sealed contents are stored in the Shinigami's belly. The user's soul will be taken regardless of the technique's success.'_

 _Tch! I thought so._ the old Shinobi scoffed in his mind. _I can't even summon this thing without losing my soul. How incredibly convenient_.

' _The Hand Seals, Chakra techniques and exercises for this seal are as follows...'_

His eyes flicked through the rest of the scroll.

"THAT'S IT?!" The Old Hokage yelled aloud.

The guard to the office poked his head through the door. "Hokage sama?"

The old man relaxed and set the scroll back onto his desk. "Nothing's wrong, Kirishima.."

The Hokage paused for a moment. "Actually, could you have one of the messengers notified to send for Orochimaru."

"Right away, Hokage sama!" The door closed quickly and the guard was gone.

The God of Shinobi put the scroll in his desk and took up the morning's stack of paperwork. _This is going to be a long day_.

\- Intermission -

Unfortunately, Orochimaru wasn't in the village. The old Hokage was busy with administration and dealing with the political aftermaths of the Nine-tails' attack and the death of the Fourth Hokage. He would not pick up his 'revive-Minato' project until his student showed up.

As it happens, it wasn't until the month after the Night of the Nine-tails' attack that Orochimaru's face was to appear in the village again.

And so it was that afternoon while the Hokage was smoking away his break-period that Orochimaru slithered into the office in the guise of a snake. "You wished to sssee me Ssssarutobi sssssenssei?"

The Hokage chuckled. "I didn't think you enjoyed such informalities, Orochimaru kun. Even if it's snake-related."

The snake bore its fangs in a wry smile before changing into the form of a pale, long-haired man. "A change of scenery, sensei. Everyone needs it once in a while."

"Yes, especially you," the old man agreed. "You're as pale as ever. You should really get more sun. Staying in those labs all day can't be very good for your health."

Orochimaru's pale lips quirked. "On the contrary, sensei, I'm healthier than ever thanks to some of my laboratory ventures. It's very nice seeing you again sensei, but you can't have called me here just to catch up. What is it you need me for?"

The Hokage gave his former pupil a sad grin. "Diligent as ever, I see. Well.."

He reached into his desk, pulled out a scroll, and handed it to his disciple. "This is the scroll for the Dead Demon Consuming Seal. What do you know about it?"

Orochimaru glanced through the scroll without reading it. "Sensei, this scroll already describes the technique and its usage fully. Why do you ask?"

The Hokage rolled his eyes and shot the pale man with an accusing look. "A scroll rarely describes all facets of a technique. This is especially true of forbidden techniques such as this one. You know this Orochimaru."

Orochimaru grinned. "My apologies sensei. Unfortunately, I do not know more than this scroll has to offer."

"I guess it wouldn't be so easy would it?" The old man muttered. Then sitting up, the Hokage gave his student a stern look. "And that's why you are here. I need you to help me with research on this technique. We are both connoisseurs of the world's many jutsu. I am old, but you are young. I no longer have the time or energy to make such ventures myself." The Hokage pointed at the stack of papers sitting on his desk. "I'm a slave to paperwork as you can see."

Orochimaru shook his head in sympathy. "And that is why I've never cared for the position of Hokage. Much too time-consuming, even with all the powers the position bestows."

The Third nodded. "You on the other hand have inherited my labs and research into which I once so avidly delved in my youth. I would like you to find a way to release the souls taken by the Shinigami of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal."

Orochimaru tilted his head. "A way to release the souls sealed with an Uzumaki technique? Whose soul are you trying to retrieve, sensei. I'm sure the only person who knew of the technique in the village was Uzumaki Kushina. In fact, she was the one who wrote this scroll." Here, Orochimaru opens the scroll and stabs a finger at Kushina's name at the bottom.

The snake-man grinned. "It's the Fourth isn't it?"

" _Tch!_ You're too damned smart, Orochimaru-kun." The old man frowned lightly. "I have the Fourth's body interred in an indefinite preservation storage scroll."

Orochimaru simply gleamed. _An empty body waiting for a soul to give it life?_ "And where do you have his body stored, sensei? I believe if you leave everything to me, I may be able to revive the Fourth in your place. When that happens, I will hopefully be able to bring a living, breathing Namikaze Minato back to Konoha."

The Third chuckled. His student knew him well. "That would be perfect. I'll deliver the scroll to you myself later this evening. Consider this project a secret between the both of us."

He paused and took a deep drag, filling the room with smoke afterward. "Imagine the surprise on the people's faces when they see their Fourth Hokage up and kicking again." The old man chuckled.

Orochimaru chuckled along with him. "Yes, imagine that." _With me in his body_.

Later that evening, the Snake sannin could be seen tossing the scroll containing the Fourth's body from hand to hand. He hadn't perfected the soul transfer technique yet, but his estimations told him that he'd have it mastered in a short number of years. Orochimaru was a patient man.

He could wait.

\- Several months later -

Wearing a demon-faced mask, one of Konoha's ten ANBU captain knelt before the Hokage. The old man sat behind his desk with an impassive look, "Report."

The man nodded. "Hokage sama, we've discovered the identity of the culprit behind the disappearance of the various shinobi and citizens throughout the village."

The man paused. The Hokage chewed his pipe impatiently, "Go on."

"It's.. it's your student sir. It's Orochimaru. He's been using them for his experiments. We found many notes and Chakra diagrams in a raid we conducted not far from the edge of the Nation."

Hiruzen's pipe fell out of his mouth and clattered to the floor. He'd seen and heard many things over the course of his long shinobi career, but the news of his student's betrayal hit him harder than when he heard of the Nine-tails' appearance in the village nearly a year ago.

The ANBU captain stood waiting for the Hokage's orders. "Hokage-sama?"

No, he could not show weakness. Not now. The old man cleared his throat. "Call all the ANBU captains not currently on duty to me now." The captain bowed.

In less than 5 minutes, four of the ten captains of ANBU entered the Hokage's office and hailed him simultaneously. "Hokage sama."

The Third Hokage wasted no time. "I am told that you've found evidence of Orochimaru's guilt in the investigations to case number 2. Is this correct?"

3 of the Captains stepped out. "Yes Hokage sama, we have all relevant documents right here."

The Hokage looked through the papers, hoping beyond hope that somehow they were wrong. As his anxiety and dread solidified into certainty, the Hokage heaved a small sigh.

"Orochimaru is to be branded an S ranked criminal. We must capture him. Kill if necessary. Where is he now? Use whatever info you have pertaining to Orochimaru's location and motives. Report all pertinent data to me. Organize your squads to your own quadrants, I will assign ten extra shinobi to each squad currently here. If you find Orochimaru, call for reinforcements and report his location back to intel immediately. Do not engage unless you absolutely believe you can subdue him. Orochimaru is an incredibly dangerous shinobi. Any questions?"

The ANBU remained quiet. They were well trained in the efficient organization of missions, priorities and abilities. Each captain knew what it was they were to do, and would segregate tasks among themselves and their subordinates.

The Hokage nodded. "Dismissed."

\- Intermission -

Orochimaru knew when he was caught. He didn't think they'd suspect him enough to actually raid one of his labs. He was one of the legendary Sannin and a trusted student of the Third Hokage himself. Even with his good reputation, Orochimaru did not hesitate to place safeguards where it was needed.

His precaution paid off. Orochimaru escaped the moment he realized that an ANBU raid had been conducted in one of his more private labs.

The snake-man smirked as he raced through the forests of Konoha at blinding speed. _Looks like the Old man is finally catching on. I wish I had been there to see his face when he heard the news._

Orochimaru suddenly had a thought and began to cackle.

 _Now imagine his face when I return in Minato's body to wipe out Konoha. I'll definitely be there to see that!_


	3. (0) Invasion

Twelve years after Orochimaru was branded an S ranked criminal, the Sannin sat in the chair prepared for him under a well-shaded veranda. Sitting next to him was his old mentor, the Third Hokage. Below them, Gaara, the Jinchuuriki of Suna, was being pummeled by Itachi's brother, Uchiha Sasuke.

The snake-man, dressed as the fourth Kazekage, cleared his throat. "I'm impressed." He uttered in a deep voice. "This Uchiha is actually able to penetrate my son's defenses."

The Hokage chuckled. "Yes. Talented mentors make for talented students. Konoha is full of talents. Their will of fire burn strong."

Orochimaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The old man was clearly trying to impress him with Konoha's military might. Orochimaru refused to be impressed. _What's your Will of Fire going to do for you when I have your village crushed under my feet? I already have your shinobi of strongest potential under my leash. Once I have Sasuke's body and his natural Sharingan, I will be unstoppable._

Not giving the Hokage even a hint to his thoughts, Orochimaru simply agreed. "Yes, Konoha is indeed talented. I hope our villages can remain in good relations."

The old man chuckled again. "Yes. Konoha will ever be an ally of the Sand as long as Suna treats us in kind."

The 'Kazekage' simply nodded. He couldn't wait to crush Konoha and gloat in victory to his former superior. _How dare the old coot nominate Namikaze Minato over his own student._

Below, Gaara had shrouded himself in a sphere of sand. An eye spun high in the air atop the arena. Sasuke was being pushed to his limits, and his hold against the cursed seal was weakening.

Sasuke was angry and hungering for power. Some of that anger was artificially produced by the seal. The rest was from Sasuke himself. _What a piece of work he left behind him after massacring his clan._ Thought Orochimaru. Itachi, with his diversity of Sharingan, Chakra control, and prowess, would have been the better candidate, but Itachi was too powerful to be taken at this stage. _What a pity that I'll have to make do with his third-rate brother._

Sasuke charged his last Chidori and simply flew toward his opponent at amazing speeds. The Hokage smirked. "Your son put up a valiant fight, but it appears Sasuke has the upper hand."

Underneath his face mask, Orochimaru grinned. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

In the middle of the arena, Gaara uttered a scream of pain and.. joy?

" **YESSSSSSS! I WILL DEFINITELY KILL YOU! YOU WILL PROVE MY EXISTENCE**!"

A massive arm of sand leapt out into the air to crush the gaping Uchiha, who was saved only by the Sharingan's alerting him of the intended movement. Leaping back, the supposedly victorious Uchiha stared wide eyed as Gaara, despite being struck by the Chidori, not only remained conscious and standing, but seemed to be growing stronger and more threatening.

In the stands, Kabuto had already activated his wide-area genjutsu. Except for some of the more experienced or intuitive shinobi, everyone was asleep.

Orochimaru threw up his robes in one hand and a Kunai straight into the Hokage's head with the other.

The Hokage whipped around and the kunai flew back toward the Snake-man.

Orochimaru smiled. _Of course the Third won't be killed so easily. Why am I not surprised?_

Around them, the Sound Four, Orochimaru's cursed ninja, erected the Violet Flames Barrier. One of the ANBU who was attempting to rush to the Hokage's side hit the barrier and was burnt to ashes.

Outside the barrier, near the village border, a giant three-headed Snake broke through Konoha's massive city walls. Below, Gaara, the Jinchuuriki of the one-tailed Bijuu, had collapsed mid-transformation and was being evacuated by his siblings.

"Orochimaru." The Hokage seethed. "What did you do with Minato's body?!"

"What?" Orochimaru blinked. "After all this time, that's what you want to talk about? Not 'what were you doing all these years, Orochimaru?' or 'what is the purpose of the cursed seal Orochimaru?' or 'Why did you betray the village, Orochimaru'... Really, sensei? _Minato_ of all things? I'm _disgusted_."

Orochimaru dug his fingers underneath the folds of his eyelids and lifted the skin off his face. The Third's eyes widened in surprise. Snakelike eyes stared back at him from the face of the Fourth Hokage. "Minato! Why?! Why are you doing this?!"

Minato's face cracked into a smug smile. "Ssarutobi ssensei. I knew you'd gone old but this? It seems you've really lost your touch. It's me. It's Orochimaru."

The old man's mouth gaped. His mind instantly registering what Orochimaru had done. Anger, regret, sorrow, and despair writ themselves on the old Hokage's face.

The Fourth's voice floated across the rooftop. "I've got to say, Sensei, coming here in Minato's body was completely worth the trouble. You should see your face. To think I'd see the face of Sarutobi Hiruzen, 'God of Shinobi', looking so pitiful." Orochimaru cackled.

Outside the barrier, one of the ANBU spectators voiced a similar shock at what they saw before them. "That's the Fourth! What the hell?! _That's the Fourth!_ "

Orochimaru cackled louder before a stream of flames struck him with full force. Disappearing into the fire, the Snake-man gave a terrible scream of agony.

The Hokage closed his eyes and muttered an apology. "Minato.." he grit his teeth "I should have just let you rest. To have Orochimaru defile your body like this, I am truly sorry." For the first time in years, the old Shinobi cried, allowing tears to form in his eyes and flow down his weathered cheeks.

"Looks like taking the Fourth's body is paying dividends. How nice of you to have sacrificed so much Chakra to preserve this body for me." Orochimaru rose from the ashes from where he stood before the flames had disrupted his gloating. He was still wearing Minato's face. "If you must know, Sasuke is going to be my next body. After I take Sasuke, I'm going to dump the body of your precious Minato into some ditch in the middle of nowhere after I've dissected it into a million pieces."

Orochimaru laughed some more. He loved this. He loved speaking in the Fourth's voice. He loved the looks of horror and despair his old mentor was giving him.

'Minato' calmed his hysteria. "This has been so very entertaining, Sarutobi sensei, and the fun is only just beginning."

Orochimaru began the Impure World Ressurection of the First and Second Hokage, but found that he could no longer move.

The Third stood before him with his palms clasped together.

 _NO!_ Orochimaru screamed internally. He knew what was happening. _The old bastard is using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal to seal away my soul._

Minato's face sneered in an ugly grimace. "SAARUTOBI! YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR!"

With a stubborn will, Orochimaru fought the Third's hold over his soul. _After all I've done to achieve immortality, I can't lose it here. Not like this._

The Third grit his teeth. _I must atone for what I've done to Minato's body. Orochimaru's soul must be removed. For the sake of the Fourth.. for the sake of the village and its people.. for the sake.. of my family._

His hands squeezed together even tighter, the Hokage unclenched his teeth and roared in a show of extreme effort.

Orochimaru grunted. If things kept up like this, he was going to lose his soul. The Sannin became desperate.

"No, sensei, please. You do not want to do this. I am your student. You trained me, you raised me with high hopes. I am like a son to you. RELEASE MY SOUL YOU OLD FART!"

The Third's hold on Orochimaru's soul was iron-strong. Even the Sannin's stubborn will could not overcome it.

With a final gasp, Orochimaru's soul was finally torn from his body. As the old man was losing his consciousness, he silently voiced his last thoughts. _SHINIGAMI! IF THE VALUE OF MY SOUL IS SUFFICIENT AFTER THIS EXCHANGE, RETURN MINATO'S SOUL TO HIS BODY!_

With that, he collapsed. Sarutobi Hiruzen was dead.

Across from him, Minato's body crumbled. The Sound Four looked on in horror. _Orochimaru was not supposed to lose._

Tayuya was first to speak. "Let's get the fuck out of here." The others nodded. With practiced timing the four ninja released the Violet Flames Barrier and ran off.

The ANBU captain waiting outside wasted no time in reacting to the situation. "Don't let them escape, capture them!"

The other ANBU wordlessly leapt away to pursue the escaping Sound ninja. Down below, the Suna invaders had been subdued. Not too far away, the Three-headed Snake had been crushed by the Toad Sage, Jiraiya. Nearly six kilometers out from the village, Gaara lay in heap of blood and tears as his forehead was dealt a heavy blow by Naruto's thick skull.

Orochimaru was dead. Suna had surrendered.

Konoha had survived the invasion.

\- Intermission -

On the rooftop where the battle between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage had occurred, the remaining ANBU captain who had been watching the entire exchange outside the barrier was now kneeling next to the old Hokage's body. Tears fell hidden behind her tiger-mask. "You were a wonderful Shinobi who fought for his people, a Shinobi who loved his village with all his heart. Your sacrifice will be remembered. We shall carry on your will of fire, Sarutobi Hiruzen."

Many other Shinobi who had also gathered around the body of the Third when the barrier fell nodded in agreement. More than a few were openly weeping. Among them, Kakashi stood with his eyes closed in silent respect to one of the greatest human beings that Konoha had ever produced.

Suddenly, one of the sensor-nin broke the crowd's reverie as he noticed the presence emanating from the spot where Orochimaru had fallen. "The enemy, he's still alive!"

Kakashi's Shinobi reflexes went on high alert. _The enemy is still alive?!_

The former ANBU assassin flashed across the rooftop with kunai in hand. As he was about to plunge the weapon into the head of the unconscious man, he stopped.

His eye widened in disbelief. Impossibly but unmistakably, the man lying across the tiles of the roof.. it was the Fourth Hokage.

It was Namikaze Minato.

Several other Shinobi appeared at Kakashi's side, several with very similar reactions. The man before them looked exactly the same as he did twelve and a half years ago, His identity was unquestionable. A couple of Shinobi, masked ANBU by the looks of it, took the initiative and wordlessly took the Fourth away for medical attention. The others quickly followed suit.

Kakashi stared after them, whispering under his breath. "It can't be.."


	4. (1) Rebirth

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. There's a mosquito in my room. Aaah!

* * *

His eyes flicked open without warning, and he found himself staring at the distinctive wooden creases of a Konoha hospital room ceiling. Disoriented, the blonde Shinobi blinked. _This can't possibly be the Shinigami's belly.._

A sudden clatter sounded nearby, and he turned to find a masked man rushing to his bedside. "Minato sensei! You're awake!"

The former Kage examined the man who had addressed him with such familiarity. "Who are you?" His sky-blue eyes focused on the mop of white hair and the chiseled, masked face. He could recognize the hair and the mask anywhere. "Kakashi?"

Kakashi nodded.

"You look so much older.. how long was I gone?" the blonde looked around. "How am I alive? How did you save me? Wait.."

Minato had a sudden thought, and he sat up aggressively. " _Is Kushina alive too?! Where's my son?"_

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head with a single hand and smiled apologetically. "Whoa! Sensei.. slow down. Let me give you the answers in the order you've requested them."  
The Yellow Flash slowly settled back into the pillows behind him.

Kakashi paused. Whatever he had to say, Minato was ready to assume the worst. "It's so good to have you back, Minato sensei."

"It's good to be back."

"First and most importantly," Kakashi held up a finger and leaned forward. Minato prepared himself to hear bad news. "I'm going to have to establish a little background. So bear with me."

Minato scoffed silently. _Since when did Kakashi become such a taunting conversationalist?_ Still, it was an improvement from the grim, suicidal ANBU specialist that Minato had last known him to be.

"You are currently being housed in a Shinobi hospital room near the Hokage tower. We found you yesterday lying on the rooftop after the battle between the Third and his student, Orochimaru.. both are now dead."

Minato's froze rigid as his eyes widened in disbelief at the news. He made no other reponse, allowing Kakashi to continue.

"I see that's news to you." Kakashi noted. "Have you noticed where we are?"

The Fourth nodded. "We're in a Konoha hospital room near the Hokage Tower, but there is no hospital near the Hokage tower. Either you've built a hospital while I've been away or I'm in the Torture and Interrogation building. Did I get that right?"

"With perfect accuracy. You get 100 points." Kakashi smiled. "You may not have noticed, but you are currently confined under maximum security. There's a seal on your Chakra to prevent any funny business, and you won't be able to get five feet past this bed."

Minato sighed. "And you're about to tell me why."

Kakashi nodded. "Basically, we don't know how you are alive right now. We believe your body may have been possessed by Orochimaru since your death. In fact, we have several witnesses corroborating the story of Orochimaru having fought the Third in your body."

Minato shivered. Orochimaru.. that slimy Snake-man.. in _his_ body.. g _ross._

If Kakashi noticed the Fourth's reaction, he didn't show it, choosing instead to continue his dialogue. "While many wanted to see you revived, others were afraid that we'd be reviving Orochimaru instead. That's why you're here."

At this, Kakashi lifted his headband to look straight into the Fourth's irises with his Sharingan eye. " _Are_ you Namikaze Minato?"

"I am." Minato replied.

Kakashi dropped his headband over his Sharingan. "I never doubted for a moment."

"I'm glad I have your confidence." The blonde Shinobi gave his student a dazzling smile. "How's my son?"

Kakashi let his spirits relax as he relished the change in topic. "Alive and well. He looks up to you and is growing to be a powerful Shinobi. He's recently been apprenticed to Jiraiya and has been making amazing progress. I believe he's even learned to summon Gamabunta."

Minato's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and pride. "And Kushina? How is she?"

Kakashi's face fell and a pang shot into Minato's heart.

"Kakashi.. is she..?"

Kakashi nodded silently. "We thought the both of you died together. We have you buried next to each other, but I guess whatever we have buried next to your wife must have been a replacement of some sort. We checked. Your grave has been untouched since the burial."

Minato gulped, but held his composure. He'd have his melt down later, but now wasn't the time. "Is there anything else I need to know?" A few stray tears betrayed him as they slid down his cheeks. Since he hadn't technically seen his wife die, Minato had held on to an unreasonable hope that she might have survived their ordeal. The finality of his student's words painfully crushed that hope and cast it into hellish oblivion.

"Yes," said Kakashi. "We are currently in the year 115. It's almost exactly twelve and a half years since you were last known to be alive. Also, your son doesn't know who his real parents are and was raised in an orphanage since birth. He doesn't know that you're his dad. Both his status as a Jinchuuriki and his parentage are an S rank secret by decree of the Third Hokage. Also-"

"Thank you Kakashi." Minato bowed his head as he fought to hold his crushing feelings of loss at bay. Despite having expected it, the news of Kushina's death had still dealt a heavy blow to his heart. He didn't want to offend his student, but he was barely able to register anything else. There was no point in making Kakashi speak any further.

Kakashi stood up silently. "It was nothing. I guess I'll be leaving you then. We'll have you out of here soon. I think you'll be happy to find that your former place of residence has been cleared for your return. I'll visit you when you get back."

The white-haired Ninja stalked off slowly, but paused at the doorway. "Sensei, remember what you told me when I tried to get myself killed on suicidal missions after Rin's death?"

Slowly, Minato recited from his perfect memory. "She wouldn't want you to throw your life away in sorrow. Life is precious. Live, Kakashi. Live to carry on her will of fire."

Kakashi nodded and left. When the door closed, Minato hung his head and cried.

* * *

\- Intermission -

* * *

The temporary leader of the village, Shikaku Nara, stood next to the head of the Torture and Investigation department. He had been alerted of the Fourth's awakening and had arrived swiftly to hear whatever it is he needed to hear.

Kakashi appeared before them with a quick shunshin and bowed. The Jounin Commander watched him expectantly. "So? Is he the Fourth or is he Orochimaru?"

Kakashi responded immediately. "He's definitely Namikaze Minato, Leader. The man has no memories of the twelve and a half years since he was proclaimed dead. We can carry on with the plans we've had in acclimatizing him to Konoha and perhaps even the Hokage role."

Shikaku gave a sardonic smile. "That's if he wants it. Make sure you visit him when he returns home. You and Jiraiya are the only close relations he has left from his time.

Kakashi responded affirmatively. "Yes, Leader."

"You are dismissed. You will be notified when you are next needed."

Kakashi remained standing in place. "Leader.. the man isn't very receptive at the moment. He's grieving his wife's death. If you're looking to talk to him, I think you should wait until some other time."

Shikaku nodded. "Duly noted. Dismissed."

The Jounin Commander turned as Kakashi gave a salute and left. "Thank you Ibiki for so swiftly setting up the accommodations for the Fourth. You've done a great job. We'll meet again when you are next needed. It's time for me to head back to run some more disaster control."

Shikaku began to turn away but stopped. "You know what? Why don't we get some drinks later?"

"Shikaku.." Ibiki considered the proposal. "Sure. Let's go to that bar near Jounin headquarters. Why don't we invite some of the others too? We'll drink you to the ground and.. uh.. good luck with the paperwork."

Shikaku scowled, " _Tch!_ Being the Hokage sucks."

Ibiki laughed as the Jounin Commander left the T&I department.


	5. (1) Home

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I own two laptops. One of them is clunky and large. The other one is a nice, small chromebook. I use it to take notes when I'm in class

* * *

It would take the T&I specialists several hours to remove the Chakra seals and barriers that had been put on and around him. They'd spent that time bringing him up to date to all the key events that have occurred in the village during his absence. Orochimaru had been branded an S-rank missing nin after being found guilty for kidnapping and experimenting on tens of civilians and shinobi from the village. It was only in recent months that the man had made his reappearance in the village of Konoha, which culminated in his death by the hands of the late Third Hokage. Before the invasion, the Snake Sannin had also been found to have joined the ranks of an organization known as the Akatsuki, which was being headed by an increasing number of S-ranked missing nin. The names of these S-ranked members were then listed along with a number of crimes they were known to have committed. Some of the names were completely new to the man who had been gone for twelve and a half years. Pain? Zetsu? Deidara? Others were more familiar. Hoshigaki Kisame, the most powerful of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.. Uchiha Itachi.

 _Uchiha Itachi.._ The image of a small boy burbling happily in the arms of Kushina's friend, Uchiha Mikoto, instantly crossed Minato's mind.

Apparently, Itachi had murdered every single member of his clan with the exception of his brother, Uchiha Sasuke, before leaving the village as a missing-nin.

"The Uchiha were the most powerful clan in the village. This Itachi must be a terrifying and exceptional Shinobi." Minato noted quietly.

The woman who was speaking nodded and cleared her throat. She was handed a cup of water which she drank from gratefully.

 _Kushina's going to be miserable when she hears about Mikoto._ Thought Minato before he caught his error. _._ Kushina wouldn't be hearing about Mikoto because Kushina was dead.

The woman handed her attendant the empty cup and began to talk about the Konoha's political relations with the various hidden villages. Minato appeared to be listening intently, but inside, he felt listless and torn.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The familiar smell of tea wafted in the evening air. As the former Kage opened the door to his old apartment room, he saw the ghost of a familiar red head. She was humming a small tune as she moved through the kitchen with her back turned to him.

Minato blinked and the image was gone.

In her place stood a tall, white-haired man with long green sleeves poking out of a light red vest. The man turned around and smiled in greeting. "Yo, Minato! The tea's just about done! I'll be right with you. Sit!"

The blonde Shinobi remained where he stood, his hands still holding the door open. "Jiraiya Sensei!"

His mentor gave him a lopsided smile. The wart on the right side of his nose was as persistent as ever. "Who else?"

Minato didn't move. The years had apparently treated the Toad Sage extremely well. _He hasn't changed at all.._

Said Toad Sage turned back around to pour some tea into a cup. "How long do you plan to stand at that door?" He asked in a conversational tone as he sent the tea flying almost vertically up into another cup and back down without losing a single drop. He repeated the process several times with incredible dexterity.

Minato pulled up a chair and sat. The scene was so familiar that he almost expected to see his wife waltz into the kitchen to try to sabotage his teacher's performance while chiding him in a playful voice. ' _Jiraiya-sensei, you show-off!'_

Minato's heart twisted painfully as his mentor's voice sounded in a commanding tone. "Here, drink this." Jiraiya whipped around and spun a cup full of tea through the air. The Fourth caught the cup between his thumb and two fingers and set it down slowly.

Jiraiya strolled out of the kitchen with another cup full of tea in one hand, and the entire kettle in another. He inched back a chair and sat down across from his long-lost student. "I cleaned up the apartment for you. I've also arranged it so that this place would feel more like it used to. You'd be surprised what the last tenet did to your kitchen."

The Sage smiled broadly, and Minato lifted the cup to take a sip.

"How is it?"

"Sweet." He took another sip. "Bitter. Just like I remember."

Jiraiya emptied his cup with one swig before pouring himself some more. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel.." Like _my heart's been torn to pieces._ "I wish Kushina were here."

"As do I." said the Sage earnestly, "But she's not and we're just going to have to deal with it."

Minato gulped, his voice beginning to waver. "To me, it's only been a couple days. I wasn't exactly conscious the last decade you know. I remember her sitting where you're sitting right now. I'm seeing her ghost wherever I look. When I came in, I saw her in the kitchen humming her usual tune. It's only been a couple weeks since you were here when we told you about Naruto's name. I feel as if she'd walk in any moment.. I-"

"Minato." Jiraiya cut into his student's tirade. The blonde choked back a sob.

"How did Tsunade deal with it?"

A hand fell on his shoulders. "Minato, Tsunade was inconsolable after the death of Dan and Nawaki. She's spending the rest of her days as a drunkard, and drinks to forget her sorrow."

Jiraiya dropped his hand and spoke in a serious tone. "Tsunade still hasn't returned to the village. Last I heard, she's taken to gambling across the land, and has been striking up debt everywhere she goes. Tsunade gambles to lose." Jiraiya shook his head. "I know what she's trying to do. That woman is using the losses she's wracked up to mask the loss that she feels in her heart. It's clearly not working. She's been at it for nearly twenty years now."

His student's face fell. "She's still alive isn't she?"

At this, Jiraiya cracked his palm across the Fourth's face. Ignoring his well-honed reflexes, the former Kage allowed his head to be whipped aside by the stinging blow. The Sannin's voice faltered. "Minato.. the pain may not really go away, but don't become like Tsunade. We just got you back after all these years. You know.. I didn't think I'd see you sitting here talking to me like this ever again."

The blonde Shinobi looked down apologetically. Suddenly, Minato felt a mixture of affection and gratitude. He was grateful that Jiraiya had come over to set up his apartment for him. Grateful that the man was sitting here in front of him, talking to him and making him tea. Grateful that he _cared_.

"Thank you.. Jiraiya sensei." The Fourth said quietly.

The Toad Sage smiled. "You still have a son you know?"

"I know."

"With the way you've been sulking, I was almost convinced that you'd forgotten." Jiraiya shook his head. "When are you planning on visiting him?"

"Tomorrow if possible." Minato finished the rest of his tea, and Jiraiya poured him some more. "Tell me about him. How is Naruto doing?"

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

When it came to his son, the subject seemed to stretch on endlessly. Naruto was an incredibly outgoing boy with mischievous tendencies and a distinct sense of humor. Apparently, he had taken to calling the legendary Toad Sage 'ero-sennin'. _With good reason_.. Minato thought. The two talked late into the evening and were only interrupted by the appearance of one Hatake Kakashi, who came in with dinner in one hand and a large bottle of expensive-looking sake in another. Jiraiya fixed his fellow white-haired Shinobi with a deadpan glare. "You're late. It's almost midnight."

Kakashi waved apologetically. "Well… I saw a couple of pretty butterflies and I lost myself in a dream. You understand what that's like."

The Sage gave a stern nod. "Well, if it's the butterflies, then I can't really fault you. They must have been exceptional."

"Very." Kakashi smiled as he set the table with several plates of steamed buns and tightly sealed bowls of noodles.

Horrified, Minato looked from Jiraiya to Kakashi and then back to the Sannin. _No way_.

Kakashi looked to his mentor as he set some disposable chopsticks in front of him. "What's wrong, sensei?"

Minato stood up. "Jiraiya sensei! This is _not_ what I meant when I asked you to help him out of his depression!"

Jiraiya simply laughed loudly at his student's protest.

Realizing he wasn't going to get his message across, the Fourth sat back down and muttered sulkily. "There must have been better ways to do it than to teach him your habits."

At this, the Toad Sage became hysterical.

Kakashi pulled down his face mask to eat his share of the food.

* * *

-Later-

* * *

The three ate, drank and talked well into the morning. By the time they'd finished the last of the noodles and steamed buns, sunrise was only a few hours away, and Minato had consumed most of the sake that Kakashi had brought earlier.

"Kushina, nothing will happen to you under my watch." He muttered before passing out in a drunken stupor. "I promise."

The two more sober Shinobi looked at each other knowingly and carted the Fourth Hokage into bed. Kakashi cleared the table as Jiraiya filled a small tub with soap and water. Fifteen minutes later, the white-haired men laid out the individual futons that they had each brought with them on the apartment's living room floor.

Kakashi laid flat on his back staring up at the ceiling. "You think he'll be OK?"

"Definitely." Jiraiya replied with confidence. "We're here for him. He'll be fine."

Kakashi closed his eyes, muttering one last word before drifting into sleep. "Hopefully."


	6. (1) Hokage

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have this thing called a ped-egg which I use to scrub the hardened skin off the bottom of my feet.

* * *

Sunlight flew through the room as Kakashi drew the curtains aside. The effect was instantaneous. Minato groaned and threw a pillow over his head as the light fried his eyeballs. "Go away." He muttered.

Kakashi tore the pillow from his mentor's grasping hands.

 _Kushina's being so mean_ thought Minato as he blindly reached for the pillow that Kakashi held just outside his reach. " _Kushinaaaaaa…._ " he groaned as he opened his eyes against a glaring hangover. His vision blurred then refocused onto a mop of white hair over a dark-blue mask.

"Yo, my cute Minato sensei."

Minato leapt out of bed with a screech and landed on his feet on the other side of the bed, his body settled in a defensive stance.

"Kakashi? What are you doing here?" He asked as he dropped his stance and stumbled, nearly losing his balance.

His student flashed across the room to catch the extremely-hungover blonde. "I came to visit you last night remember? I brought food and sake and everything.."

The blonde rolled his eyes. "No, I meant what are you doing _here_ , in my room?"

Kakashi smiled innocently. "Do I need a reason to visit my cute little sensei?"

"Oh my god Kakashi!" Minato cried, exasperated. His brain throbbed against his skull, causing him to wince in pain..

Kakashi settled his mentor into a nearby chair. "We were going to see your son today, remember? Jiraiya-sama is going to take your son on a trip to find Tsunade. Weren't you going to go with them?"

Minato's leapt out of the chair, ignoring the debilitating symptoms of his hangover. "They're leaving this morning? What are we waiting for?"

Kakashi made an exaggerated grimace. "Well first, you'll need some breakfast. Second, you're going to do something about your horrible breath, Third, you're going to pack and make yourself presentable."

"But what if-"

"You still have a few hours before they meet and head out. Don't worry about it. Remember. Main entrance. Ten o' clock."

Minato nodded as Kakashi opened the bedroom window. The masked Shinobi gave his mentor one last look, "There are some hard-boiled eggs on the kitchen table and heated tea on the stove. You'll find something for your hangover in the bathroom cabinet." Kakashi put a foot to the window ledge. "See you later." He leapt out into the streets and was gone before Minato could respond.

The blonde felt ashamed with himself as he stumbled into the bathroom and turned on the water for a cold shower.

"Kushina would be so disappointed with me." The former Hokage laughed mirthlessly after realizing that he'd stepped in to the shower still wearing the hospital issued clothes he'd had on since they'd found him.

The water soaked into his shirt. He peeled the pieces of cloth off his well-preserved body and half-expected Kushina to walk in and join him. The playful, sing-song chime of her voice sounded through his memories. ' _Minatoo~ I'm coming in!"_ An image of his wife dancing through the doorway wrapped in a small towel flared through his mind. Tinges of arousal burned at his core before it was consumed by overwhelming grief.

 _What a mess I've become._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Jiraiya swallowed the hard-boiled egg he'd nipped for breakfast and gulped down the rest of the tea from his bottle. _I've definitely had better_. He thought with a gaping yawn. It was a little after dawn, and he'd only had about three hours of sleep. _Oh well, it's the life of a ninja. I'll just have to deal with it._ He mused blandly.

Jiraiya reached up and snapped a small branch from the tree he was sitting in and whittled it down with a bit of wind manipulation. The Toad Sage then began picking his teeth as he scanned the streets for women to ogle.

Jiraiya frowned. He only managed to spy an old lady taking an early morning walk. Her bosom hung perilously near her waist, and it was clear that she was at least thirty years older than he was.

He ogled her anyway. _I've definitely seen better._

It was at this moment that Kakashi chose to fly out of his student's bedroom window and land on the branch next to him.

Jiraiya stood up. "Well that was quick, let's go."

Kakashi nodded and the two flew across the rooves of Konoha toward the village's council room.

They landed in front of the administrations complex and began to make their way to the registration desk.

"You think you can convince them to chose her?" Kakashi asked.

"They'll listen to me." The Sage said with confidence.

The attendant at the desk saluted as they approached. "Jiraiya sama. We have you registered. Please go ahead. It's the main council room which is on the top floor."

"I know.." Jiraiya said as he made his way toward the stairs.  
"Of course, excuse me." The attendant replied apologetically before turning to face the white-haired Jounin before him.

"Kakashi, you're late."

 _So was Jiraiya, and we were only late by a couple minutes._ Kakashi smiled. "Well.. you know how it is."

The attendant rolled his eyes and pointed toward the stairway. "Up ahead please."

The Jounin nodded and disappeared with a swirl of leaves and a shunshin after signing the register.

For what felt like the hundredth time since he's taken the job, the attendant scowled as he stared at the pile of leaves littering the ground. "Damnit! I swear he does that just to piss me off!"

The man left his desk to get a broom.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Around the council room table sat Konoha's most prominent political and military figures. Sitting at the head of the table were the only two members of the Konoha Council, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. They were the ones who would have the final say in who was to become the next Hokage.

Sitting on their left and right were Shikaku and Jiraiya respectively. Behind them stood several ANBU figures wearing their customary masks.

Further down the table, Danzo sat with his eyes closed. He was the only other person in the room who had the privilege of ANBU protection.

Kakashi scoffed silently as he completed his scan of the room. _I know for a fact that those two aren't ANBU._ Having been a part of ANBU, the former specialist knew that no two ANBU ever wore the same mask in each other's presence. Clearly, Danzo still fielded private soldiers, but - despite the original decree for Danzo to dispel his ROOT operatives - the council had turned something of a blind eye to the man's disobedience. Before he could muse further, Koharu cleared her throat loudly. "Thank you, Kakashi, for being less late than usual." She said pointedly. "Now then, with the addition of Hatake Kakashi we may now begin the meeting."

Koharu finished her speech and looked to Homura, who cleared his throat and began his part. "All of you know why we are gathered here. The late Third Hokage has passed away defending the village to the very end. He was an exceptional Shinobi of Konoha, and his passing will be greatly grieved. His will of fire lives on in all of us. We cannot linger forever in our grief. The village needs an Hokage. It needs someone to lead its people and help to create and maintain a peaceful, lasting Konoha."

Homura paused to give everyone a hard look.

"Here we have gathered some of our most exceptional Shinobi, and I know some of you have serious aspirations to take the seat." At this, both council members looked pointedly at Danzo who sat very still in place. "However, we already have a list of candidates from among you who we deem acceptable for the position. Those who aren't on this list have our deepest apologies."

Homura looked straight at Danzo, who feigned apathy. The only trace of his discontent was the tightening of his knuckles over the table.

Koharu picked up where Homura left off. "We actually only have three people on our list. If none will take the position, then we will see about other candidates pending suggestions." She turned her eyes to the man sitting next to her.

"Shikaku Nara, you've shown yourself to be an able commander and an inspirational leader. Orochimaru's invasion and Suna's betrayal left our village in a desolate state. You've made major contributions to dealing with the aftermaths of these events. In addition to your years as an incredibly efficient and hard-working Jounin Commander, we can think of no better person to take up the mantle of Hokage."

Danzo nodded his head while several other voices of agreement rung from the crowd.

Shikaku sighed and looked around seriously at his fellow villagers. "Honestly, I do not want the position. I am not ready for it nor will I ever be. These last few days have showed me that I neither have the drive nor the patience to be the Hokage. I believe that I'm better suited to doing what I enjoy doing best, and that is to strategize and establish the tactical missions and positions of our various military ventures as the Jounin Commander. Someone else will have to take the spot."

Koharu fixed the scarred man with a placid stare. "That is quite disappointing, but I see you've made up your mind."

The Jounin Commander nodded.

"Very well," The old woman sighed. "Homura, you do the honors."

The other member of the Council cleared his throat. "Jiraiya of the Sannin. You are our next preferred candidate. As a long-standing Shinobi of Konoha, you've been incredibly loyal to the village. You also hold a long list of achievements under your name. You were a major figure in the Third Shinobi war and have proven yourself a powerful Shinobi. You were teacher to the Fourth Hokage, and your students have grown to become exceptional Shinobi in their own rights." At this, the tiger-mask ANBU nodded in agreement as Homura continued speaking. "You're a born leader; a guide to those in need. The result of your guidance has always been exceptional. You are well versed in the politics of our village and can become Hokage with ease."

The Toad Sage chuckled lightly and rubbed the back of his head. "You're making me sound better than I really am with the way you're laying it on, Homura." He dropped his hands and shook his head. "I do not believe I am suited to becoming Hokage, and am definitely more efficient out in the field than in the office. I believe, however, that the other Sannin, Tsunade, is much more suited to the task than I am. As granddaughter of the First Hokage, her war-credentials are the same as mine. She is a powerful Shinobi in her own right and is responsible for many medical advances. As former head of our village's medical program, she's shown herself an extremely capable leader who is well loved for both her heritage and the countless lives that have been saved under her influence."

Jiraiya gave the two Council members a look of confidence. "She would make a better Hokage than I."

Koharu looked to her fellow Council member, who gave her an approving nod. "Well, we did consider her briefly, but the problem is, we do not know where she is. She is not in the village and hasn't been for many years. If she can somehow be found, then we'd consider her for the position."

The Toad Sage nodded sagely. "And who is this third candidate that you're considering?"

"That would be our recently recovered Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato."

* * *

-Obligatory Transitional Intermission-

* * *

The council room filled with chatter. Most had not heard about the discovery of the Fourth since no official announcement had been made yet. In addition to those in command, only the Shinobi who had discovered and cared for the man were privy to the information.

Shinobi didn't gossip for very good reasons.

Homura cleared his throat loudly. "Silence please." The chatter died down.

"As to the circumstances of his coming back from the dead, those can be discussed later if necessary. As of right now, we'd like to officially declared the Fourth's discovery an S-rank secret until further notice. Our relations with Iwa and Kumo have been tenuous at best. If Iwa were to hear of the Fourth's reappearance, they may be tempted to try some unsavory military or political maneuvers against us in retaliation for what he did to them during the previous war. Kumo may decide that Konoha had become too powerful with the readdition of our former Kage. The ramifications are the same. It is best that we keep this amongst ourselves."

Danzo chose this moment to open his one unbandaged eye that he had been holding closed. "And how would you make the man Hokage if his identity is such an important secret?"

"If he were to become Hokage, then the secret would naturally dissolve. Besides, Konoha just took quite a blow. I'm sure the death of the Third and a sixth of our Shinobi forces more than makes up for the addition of one Namikaze Minato into our ranks." Koharu sniffed.

One of the women sitting in the room motioned to speak. "That is true regardless of whether or not he chooses to become Hokage."

Homura shook his head in stubborn refusal of her logic. "Well…"

Danzo interrupted. "Since when did Konoha fear other nations to such a degree that it'd force its more powerful Shinobi to hide themselves as S-rank secrets? When the legendary Sannin first gained their titles, did we mark them S-rank secrets? When Sarutobi Hiruzen showed an astounding mastery of all five elements, did we turn him into an S-rank secret? Has Konoha become so weak that we've become afraid to even harbor powerful Shinobi? I remember a time in which powerful Shinobi were _flaunted_ to both show the strength of the village and inspire fear in the enemy." The old war-hawk sighed. "What kind of backwards world are we living in these days?"

Jiraiya gave Danzo a hard look before articulating his thoughts on the matter as was expected of him. "He has a point. This type of secret impinges on the freedom and well-being of our village's strong Shinobi. I say we do away with such impositions. The Fourth does not need to be shunned by his own village."

The Council members looked to each other. Koharu spoke up first. "Fine. but if Iwa or Kumo declares war, know that it is because of what you've decided here today. We are getting slightly off-topic." She looked to the only Sannin present. "Jiraiya. We don't know where Tsunade is. Since you don't want the position, our former Hokage, Namikaze Minato, would be the obvious choice for the role."

Kakashi motioned to speak.

"Yes, Kakashi?"

"He doesn't want the position."

Homura furrowed his eyebrows as his fellow Council member looked to Jiraiya. "What?"

"Is that true?" asked Koharu.

The Toad Sage nodded. "We spoke to him last night. He wants to be sent afield. There's someone he wants to track down, and he thinks he can do it better as an active Shinobi. Someone was responsible for the Nine-tails' attack that night, and he says that he can find that person."  
The Council objected. "But he can do that and still be Hokage can't he?"

Jiraiya sighed and shook his head. "To be honest, his wife's death is probably the main reason he's rejecting the role. She was the reason he became Hokage in the first place. Now that she's gone, he no longer desires the position. There's really nothing we can do about it."

"Then.. I guess we can start taking requests from aspiring Hokage"

Jiraiya cut in. "Wait, what about Tsunade?"

Koharu shook her head. "We don't know where she is. We've established that."

Jiraiya smiled. He'd been keeping track of his teammate since she left nearly twenty years ago. "Actually.. I've recently gotten some very reliable information from my network and can almost pinpoint her exact location. If you give me a couple weeks, I'll have her back in Konoha in time for the official Hokage selection."

Jiraiya paused to let his words sink in. The Council members talked to each other for a few moments before reaching an accord. "It is agreed. If you can bring Senju Tsunade back to Konoha in time for the official selection, we will give her the position."

The Toad Sage grinned. "I'd also like to take one Uzumaki Naruto with me."

" _Uzumaki Naruto?_ " Homura looked to Koharu who shrugged. They knew exactly who and what Naruto was, but they also knew that if anyone, Jiraiya could keep him secured.

"We will permit it."

Jiraiya mentally gave himself a high five. "Minato's coming too."

Koharu and Homura shared a look. _Naruto's father._

"Fine. The rest of the meeting will be dedicated to requests for the Hokage position on the off-chance that Jiraiya doesn't find Senju Tsunade. We will listen and judge impartially. Those who aren't submitting a request may be dismissed."

Danzo raised his hand to speak. "Wait. I'd like to hear about the Fourth."

A number of attendees voiced a similar sentiment.

"Alright." Homura sighed. "Shikaku, would you..?"

"Sure." The village's soon-to-be ex-temporary leader stood up to give a summary of the Fourth's discovery and subsequent recovery.

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

I like cheesecake. Do you?


	7. (1) Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I keep my toe-nails trimmed. They look nice, but nobody ever sees them. Makes me wonder why I even do it.

* * *

After helping the Jounin Commander complete his report on the Fourth, Kakashi decided that he was no longer needed and left the meeting room.

Jiraiya stayed. He needed to give a rough summary of what he was going to do and where he was going to be during his search for his teammate.

He also stayed to help analyze the various Hokage applicants. Jiraiya wasn't foolish enough to believe that Tsunade would simply agree to return to Konoha with him, even if it's to become Hokage in place of their late mentor.

The Sannin's voice held a lot of political weight, and he stayed to make sure they didn't pick some dunce who just happened to know how to kiss-up to the expectations of the two Council Members. The meeting would last until noon at least.

It was merely 7:28 AM - a little bit over an hour since the meeting was started. Kakashi made his way out of the administration complex toward Naruto's apartment.  
After the battle with that red-headed Suna nutcase, Naruto had been sent to the hospital for medical treatment only to be released a few hours later despite heavy injuries. As long as his Chakra system was untouched, Naruto's Jinchuuriki status and his Uzumaki blood almost guaranteed instant recovery from all but the most lethal blows.

 _I don't care what people think,_ thought Kakashi with a hint of envy, _being a jinchuuriki is awesome._

The Jounin stood in front of his student's apartment room door. _Now, how should I go about doing this?_

Kakashi snapped up a sheet of paper and brush and wrote. ' _10 o' clock, Konoha Main Gate. Don't be late. -Kakashi._ '

He was about to stick the note on the door when he had a better idea. Crumpling the paper, the Jounin opened the door to Naruto's apartment and walked in. He was going to have to remind the kid to remember to lock his front door. A soft snore emanated from further inside. He began to make his way through the clutter of things littered around the floor. _What's with all this shit?_ He thought before reaching the source of the snoring. Naruto was lying in the corner of a dark room, asleep.. _as expected_.

The Jounin reached up to lift the thick curtains of the window above Naruto's bed. As the light filtered into the room, Naruto scrunched up and stuffed his pillow over his head with a groan.

Kakashi pried the pillow out of Naruto's hands, and he held it just outside of the boy's reach.

Naruto grasped blindly for his pillow. "What the-" he muttered sleepily. He opened his eyes to the sight of a masked cyclops.

"Yo, my cute student."

Naruto leapt up with a screech and clambered to the other side of his bed, stopping only when he had his back glued to the wall. " _Kakashi-sensei, what the hell are you doing here?!"_

 _Huh.._ Kakashi thought as he plastered an innocent smile onto his face. _Deja vu._

"Do I need a reason to visit my cute little student?"

Naruto remained stuck to the wall in horror. "No seriously, Kakashi sensei. What kind of sensei sneaks into his 12 year old student's room in the morning while he's sleeping? That's creepy. I didn't know you were a pedafeel."

"The word's 'pedophile' and I don't think it means what you think it means."

Naruto relaxed and crossed his arms with a frown. "Well that still doesn't explain what you're doing in _my_ apartment, near _my_ bed and holding _my_ pillow. Give me back my pillow!"

Kakashi tossed the pillow toward the blonde who caught it with a self-righteous pout. The blonde slid his back down the wall and sat cross legged. His hand went to his chin in an exaggerated thinking position.

"Kakashi-sensei. If you aren't here to mess with my apartment or to harass me, then you must be here to give me something super awesome and important before you leave on a long trip," he looked up at his mentor expectantly. "Am I right?"

Kakashi tapped his masked chin. "Partly. If you think my morning wake-up routine isn't harassment, then I'm pretty sure I've failed."

Naruto scoffed. "Whatever."

"More importantly, Jiraiya is planning to take you on a training trip and will meet you later at Konoha's main gate. I do in fact have a surprise waiting for you there.."

"Really?!" Naruto's eyes gleamed in excitement.

The Jounin nodded. "I'm sure you'll like it. Be there at 10 o'clock sharp, you don't want to be late and miss out."

The boy cheered. "Thank you so much Kakashi sensei! Are you coming on the training trip too?! What's the surprise exactly?!" An exclamation mark punctuated every single statement.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now would it?" Kakashi smiled before adopting a slightly heavier tone. "And no, I'm not going. I'll have to take care of Sasuke. He's still not fully recovered from his injuries and his cursed seal has been acting up even more frequently since the invasion."

The smile almost literally melted off Naruto's face. "I hope Sasuke's ok. I wish he'd stop pushing everyone away." The blonde's face drooped. "Sometimes I think he forgets that he has people who really care about him."

Kakashi sighed. "We'll get to him eventually."

"Yeah." Naruto beamed at Kakashi's words. "We won't let him become a gloomy loner. Not on our watch!"

Kakashi nodded as he turned to leave. "Not on our watch. I'll see you later."

Naruto called to his mentor. "Hey, sensei!"

"What is it?"

"Are you going to visit Sasuke now? Can I go with you?"

Kakashi thought for a moment then nodded. "Sure. They're still fixing him up, but he should be out in a couple days. We'll have to go now if you want to see him before the trip."

Naruto jumped up. "Ok. Give me 5 minutes and I'll be right out. You better wait for me!"

Kakashi watched the blonde fly around the apartment in practiced ease. With a shake of his head, the former ANBU specialist slowly made his way back out of the cluttered apartment room.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was bandaged in several casts. He lay on a bed in a Konoha hospital room feeling exasperated and bored. _I need to train._ he thought. _I need to get stronger_. How could he ever beat Itachi lying wounded in a hospital bed?

These and other thoughts plagued his mind as he once again thought back to the fight between Naruto and Gaara. _Since when did Naruto become so strong? Since when was he contracted to such powerful summons?_

Not only that, but Naruto's ability to fight and think on the fly was something that Sasuke recognized to be a distinct advantage that the blonde had over him.

The raven-haired genin began to scorn himself. _All I did was use the Chidori and rely on my Sharingan to cover everything else_.

There was also no point in denying the fact that Naruto had massively superior Chakra reserves. Sasuke knew from personal experience that the scale at which Naruto used the Kage Bunshin wasn't something that could simply be copied.

It was at this point that Sasuke made his ultimatum. He could feel instinctively that the cursed seal could be used to make him a lot more powerful. He'd heard that the four ninja that Orochimaru brought with him were not only able to hold back entire squads of ANBU while their master fought the Hokage, they were also able to individually hold off and evade ANBU pursuit. Sasuke decided that he would seek out this power and return to face Naruto in single combat. _If I win, I'm leaving the village to find these other curse-sealed Shinobi and see what they can teach me. If I lose, then maybe Naruto's right. Maybe strength does lie in hard work, friendship, trust and connections._ Sasuke smirked. _Yeah right._

The nurse who had been caring for him came around to update him on his physical condition before leaving for the night. "All your internal hemorrhages have been pretty much fixed. Your bones will be regrown by tomorrow. You were lucky that they were clean fractures, otherwise, you'd be in here for a few extra days."

Sasuke sighed. "Yeah that's what you told me when I first came in."

The nurse gave him a look. "Did I? Well I must've completely forgotten. Have a good night then, Sasuke-kun." With that the nurse turned her heels and left.

Sasuke closed his eyes and fell asleep just as the night shift began.

The next morning, he was jarred awake by the sound of the most annoying voice in the world. "Sasuke! Are you awake?! Are you OK?!"

Sasuke winced. Naruto was loud. "Yeah I'm awake, no thanks to you, dobe."

Naruto sighed with exaggerated relief. "Whew! For a moment there, I thought you were dead or something."

"If I was dead, dobe, they wouldn't be treating me in a hospital." Sasuke looked up and saw Kakashi standing further back. _Tch! Things are going to be more troublesome with him being here._

Naruto laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "Well I'm just glad you're alright. We've been worried about you. Sakura would be here if she weren't also being treated."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "Sakura's here?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah she's on the floor below this one in room 3A. She's still asleep so we didn't bother her."

Sasuke gave his teammate a deadpan glare. "Yeah well I was asleep and you just came barging right in."

Naruto shook his head in apology. "Sorry about that. It's just that. I'm going on a training trip and I heard I'd have to leave before you're being let out so I asked Kakashi to bring me here to see you before I go."

Sasuke shifted his glare to Kakashi who was staring down into that orange book he always had with him. Naruto took a breathe. "Maybe I should go wake up Sakura too, but Sakura's a girl and well.." Naruto paused for a lack of words. "You know.."

Sasuke looked horrified. "Naruto.. _shy_?! Haven't you asked her out like a hundred times? Is the world ending or something?"

"Waking her up is different! There's something called chivalry when you treat a girl you know."

Sasuke huffed, amused. "And since when did Uzumaki Naruto know anything about chivalry?"

Naruto pouted. "Hey! Teme! I'll make you eat those words! I know lots about chivalry! For example, I don't just go and wake up girls from their sleep!"

Sasuke's lips twitched as he fought the smile that was threatening to escape. "You're an idiot."

In the background. Kakashi felt more than a little relieved as his two students bantered comfortably with each other. _That Naruto.. I can't even hold a candle to him._

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

I like pound cake too. They're buttery.


	8. (1) Publicity

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't have hair on my feet. That makes me happy.

* * *

Naruto's visit with Sasuke lasted a mere twenty minutes. He had to pack and get rid of the perishables in his fridge for the trip. Before he left the hospital, however, he went down to room 3A to visit Sakura by the prompting of his raven-haired Uchiha rival. Luckily, Sakura was already awake and was reading through a medical textbook that Kakashi had brought her from the Shinobi archives. As he approached his crush, Sakura put her book down, giving him a small wave and a cheery greeting. It was nice to have visitors.

"Hey Naruto."

Naruto grinned from ear to ear. "Sakura-chan! I'm so glad you're awake! That Sasuke was going to make me wake you up! That's so stupid right? He sooo doesn't know anything about chivalry."

 _What?_ Sakura smiled and nodded to mask her confusion. "Right."

Glad that Sakura was being more receptive than usual, Naruto plowed into his next line of thought. "So listen, umm, Sakura-chan. I'll be going on a really long trip and won't be back any time soon so this might be the last time I see you in a long time."

Naruto looked expectantly at the pinkette. _This is where she tells me that she'll miss me and how much she actually loves me and how she doesn't want me to go!_

"What's the trip for?" she asked.

Naruto withered a little but regained his composure quickly. "I'm going on a training trip with Jiraiya of the Sannin." He said proudly.

"Oh. When will you be back?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. It could be a few weeks. It could be two years.." Naruto gently took hold of Sakura's hand. "I'll miss you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura resisted the urge to whack the boy in the back of the head and nodded amiably. "Me too."

Naruto beamed. "When I get back, I'll be so much stronger, you won't even recognize me dattebayo!"

Sakura shook her head with a small smile. "Sure Naruto. I'll be looking forward to it. Maybe then you'll stop being such an idiot."

"Sakura-chan! That's so mean." Naruto smiled wryly.

"I'll stop calling you an idiot when you stop being one."

Naruto nodded before changing his tone drastically. "Sakura-chan. Take care of Sasuke-teme. I heard he's been kind of out of it since the Chuunin Exams. I know you care more about him than any other person. Don't let him get too gloomy and depressed with his revenge stuff alright?"

Sakura tried to give her worried teammate a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about that, Naruto. Sasuke's in good hands."

Naruto tightened his grip on Sakura's hand. "Will you miss me so much that you'd be willing to dump that Sasuke and go out with me when I get back?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Not a chance. Now if you don't let go of my hand, it's going to be flying in your face, and trust me, it's going to hurt."

Naruto dropped her hand. "It was worth a shot. I'll see you when I get back then."  
As he began walking out of the room, Sakura called out to him.

"Naruto."

"Yeah?"

"Take care of yourself."

"Of course! Who do you think I am?" Naruto turned back around and struck a wide stance. "I'm the great, future Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Yeah whatever. Get out of here."

"Later then! Sakura-chan!" Naruto called before racing out of her room.

The pinkette picked up her book. "Baka."

-Later-

Sakura heaved a small sigh.

She wasn't sure how she felt about Naruto's leaving since he hadn't been absent for that long yet, but the 'class-clown' had become a comforting presence to her since they'd been placed in the same Genin team. Naruto may have been a loud-mouthed idiot sometimes, but his cheery nature and strong convictions had grown on her over the 6 months they'd been together.

 _I'll definitely miss him._

-Intermission-

Starting 7:30 in the morning, the Fourth Hokage set out to see how his village had fared since the Nine-tails' assault. Having had his face carved into the side of the massive mountain cliff hanging over the village, his identity could be easily discerned by any Konoha villager. Thus it was to no surprise that his tour began to cause a ruckus in the village.

It began when some of the more inquisitive or bold villagers began walking up to him. The first to approach him was a friendly-looking couple. The male spoke first. "The Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato. Is that you?"

"That's me, and who might you be?" He asked with a smile.

"My name's Haruno Kizashi and this is my wife, Mebuki. It's such an honor to be talking to you. Yondaime-sama." The couple bowed and the Fourth nodded.

The wife spoke next. "If you don't mind us asking, where have you been all this time, Yondaime-sama? We thought you were dead."

Kizashi nodded.

"I thought I was dead too. It's a long story, but it's good to be back. I see the village population is still growing strong. I look forward to living among you again." The Fourth gave his own perfunctory bow.

Kizashi grinned. "We are only doing our duty to the village. We can never forget the sacrifice you and your wife made for us that night, and we can only put utmost effort into doing our part."

Minato missed the latter end of Kizashi's pleasantries as a numbing shock raced through his body. The image of his wife's last moments came crashing down on him like a meteor. _I seriously need to do something about these emotional reflexes. I can't keep living like this._ He thought inwardly. On the outside, his face recorded none of his inner turmoil.

"Yes. I hope our sacrifice has brought to our son a better life." He said, referring to the opportunities that Naruto would have with the added powers of having a Bijuu sealed inside of him.

The couple shared a look. _He had a son?_ If the Fourth had a son, wouldn't they have heard about it?

Kizashi shook his head in sympathy. "We didn't know you had a son. He is most likely dead. I'm sorry, Yondaime-sama. Truly."

"What? My son is dead?" Minato gave him an inquisitive look, the words leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. "Last I heard, he was alive and well. Surely you've heard of him? Naruto? Uzumaki Naruto?"

Kizashi furrowed his brow. _Uzumaki Naruto? THAT Uzumaki Naruto?! He was really the Fourth's son?!_

-Intermission-

After the Fourth and his wife died sealing the Nine-tails into him, Naruto had his Jinchuuriki status made known to various orphanage caretakers out of necessity. The Sannin Jiraiya and a small team of Shinobi were frequently there to conduct time-consuming checks on the Bijuu-seal to make sure that it was functioning properly. Despite having been told that it was an S-rank secret, some of the more gossipy ones managed to leak the information. The entire village was made aware that Uzumaki Naruto was Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tails in less than a month. S-rank secret or not, people began to talk about it openly. Such brazen disregard for village rules was finally silenced by the public execution of some of the more well-known rule-breakers.

The village stopped talking about Naruto and the Nine-tails, but in exchange, many began to hate the boy, blaming him for the deaths of those who they considered wrongly executed. The blame eventually expanded to include the deaths of the Fourth, his squad, and all the Nine-tails' victims during the night of its assault. That Naruto was the Fourth's son was all but unknown. Many thought that his surname, Uzumaki, was given to him in honor of the last Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tails. The Fourth's wife: Uzumaki Kushina.

Whoever heard of a blonde Uzumaki? His being raised in an orphanage didn't help either. Surely if the Fourth Hokage had any offspring, he'd be raised in a nurturing environment by someone important like the Third Hokage or Jiraiya of the Sannin.

Such were the thoughts of many villagers. Even the less hate-blinded portion of the village chose to shun him to avoid the massive social taboo of siding with him. By the age of six, Naruto was ostracized by all but a select few individuals, among which included the Third Hokage.

Those who knew the full truth also happened to be those who knew how to keep their mouths shut. Those who didn't only knew half the truth.. that the Nine-tails tore apart a lot of families and killed many upstanding Konoha citizens.. the Nine-tails was contained within this boy Uzumaki Naruto.. the Nine-tails could very well _be_ Uzumaki Naruto.

Haruno Kizashi and his wife were one of those who only knew half the truth.

Naruto's exuberance had helped to tone down and reverse many people's opinions about him in his past 6 months as a hard-working genin, but that didn't mean that the hatred before didn't exist.

Kizashi grimaced inwardly, his expression remaining relatively jovial. "Ohhh!. _That_ kid. He's doing well."

His wife nodded. "Yeah. He's just got a few mischievous tendencies."

The Fourth smiled in satisfaction. "So I've heard. If you have the time, would you two mind giving me a tour of the village?"

 _A chance to be seen as one of the first to meet the long-lost Fourth Hokage in his return to Konoha?_ "We'd be honored, first, let's take you to see the food market. We could get something to eat while we're there." Mebuki smiled.

Minato smiled back. "I'll be meeting Naruto at the village gates at 10. Let's try to keep this compacted. Thanks so much for sparing the time."  
Kizashi nodded. "No problem."

The Fourth practically beamed. "So.. tell me what you know about him?"

"Who?"

"My son."

The couple blanched.

-Intermission-

As Minato talked to the couple, people gathered around them, keeping a respectable distance. They chattered loudly.

" _What's with the commotion?"_

" _It's the Fourth Hokage."_

" _Impossible, I thought he was dead."_

" _Let-me-see-let-me-see-let-me-see!"_

" _I just heard them talking. He's definitely the Fourth."_

" _He's so cute!"_

" _Where's he been all this time?"_

" _Holy smokes.. it's the Fourth Hokage!"_

" _Seriously?!"_

A few people began walking up to them to express their thoughts and introduce themselves, opening the flood gates. People came in left and right, hoping to talk to the revered Fourth Hokage. The return of one of Konoha's most beloved figures spread through the village in almost no time at all.

Minato met with and talked to as many people as possible, detaching himself from his tour guides with an apology. If he was going to get used to living in the village again, it was best that the village got used to having him back.

 _Looks like this tour isn't happening today._

* * *

-A/N-

Strawberry Cheesecake. Oh my god. I can't even begin to describe how amazing it is.


	9. (1) Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. There are like these callouses on the side of my toes. I don't like them, so I poke at them. One of these days, they're going to poke back. Toes have mercy.

* * *

Naruto finished packing the few things that he'd need for the trip: A canister for water, a couple changes of clothes, some eating/cooking utensils, toothbrush, kunai, and a few snack rations. He took a longing look at the things he couldn't pack. _Man I gotta learn how to make those storage scrolls so that I can take more things_ He thought sadly.

As he made his way to the village gates, he noticed a large, dispersing bundle of people. Curious, he slipped into the crowd and walked up to a random nearby person.

"Hey, what's going on here?"

The woman was about 40 years old and had a kind, maternal look. She turned to Naruto and sneered. "Scram."

Naruto did just that. He turned to a nearby couple.

The couple put on huge smiles as they saw him approaching them. "Naruto! It's so great to see you!"

Naruto scrunched his face. Generally, when he approached someone, they were curt and concise. Other times, they treated him with utter contempt, but the worst was when they ignored him as if he didn't exist. The exceptions were few and far between. Usually, the strangers who treated him kindly had ulterior motives. Thus, the couple's apparent pleasure at seeing him put him on edge.

"Uhh, yeah. I don't know you. I was just wondering what was going on with the big excited crowd and everything."

"Oh, it's your father. The villagers are all so very excited by his return." The woman smiled as if that explained everything.

Naruto widened his eyes in an exaggerated show of surprise. He sighed inwardly. Lying to him and raising his hopes didn't even make for a good prank. It was just plain petty and mean. _I knew they were up to something._

The man spoke up in his lover's place. "I've gotta say, Naruto, your father's return to Konoha is nothing short of miraculous. We're so happy for you."

 _Sure.._ Naruto thought sarcastically as he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If they thought he'd fall for such an obvious ploy, they were in for a surprise.

Naruto gave a friendly nod to the man's platitudes. "Thank you very much. I'll see if I can catch him. Bye!"

The woman waved with cheer. "My name is Haruno Mebuki and my husband here is Kizashi. Tell your father we said hi!"

"I will." Naruto nodded again, not really listening to their introduction. He leapt out of sight and made a shadow clone. Having been created with Naruto's thought processes, the clone needed no debriefing as it wordlessly went off to do what it was made to do.

 _I hope they enjoy what I have in stock for them._ The original thought with a smile before racing after the crowd. He still had a little bit of time.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

As the last of the stragglers began detaching themselves from his presence, a few stubborn adherents remained. He had a little under half an hour to get to the rendezvous point with Jiraiya-sensei, and at the pace he was going, he'd never make it.

Minato had given the crowd a small speech to that effect, leaving out the details of his meeting to avoid being followed. Privacy is something he rarely had in public since he'd become Hokage, and his 12 years of absence has done nothing to lessen this problem.

Now to deal with those more dedicated 'fans' of his. He sighed. A pretty pink-haired woman held his arms stubbornly and was chattering away about how her family had been saved by his sacrifice and how she had fallen in love with him ever since. _How old was she when that happened? 10 years old?_

"I'm not interested." He said bluntly before having his other arm snagged by a very attractive blonde.

"Yonndaime-samaa~~ if you're not interested in her, would you be interested in me?" She sang in what was probably supposed to be a seductive voice.

"Please unhand me." The Fourth looked her seriously in the eyes. He felt someone else grab him from behind, breasts digging into his upper back.

"I've been dreaming about you ever since hearing about your life, how you faced off against 1000 Iwa-Nin by yourself, how you stopped the Nine-tails from destroying the village, and all the other amazing things that you've done, Minato-sama!"

The Yellow Flash struggled. He didn't want to be rude, but things were getting out of hand. "Please respect my personal space and interests. I do not want to have to resort to-" He stopped mid-sentence. His eyes widened at the sight before him.

A massive crowd of young women at least a hundred strong came running toward him with fanatic grins on their faces. Within seconds, they occupied every space around him in a 10 feet radius

He squeezed his eyes shut and the image of his teacher, Jiraiya, appeared in his mind. _This would have been a dream come true for him. In fact, I think this would have knocked him cold from sensory overload.. wait.._

Then something clicked as he recalled what he'd been told last night about Jiraiya's first encounter with Naruto. Minato's heart raced with excitement. He knew exactly what was going on.

The swarm of girls disappeared in a puff to be replaced by over a hundred identical looking blonde boys. The women immediately around him simply disappeared in a puff of smoke.

One of the boys walked up to him with an earsplitting grin on his face. "Yondaime Hokage, my name's Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm a huge fan! I've been dying to meet you!"

Naruto then performed a small bow. "How'd you like my mass-shadow cloned Sexy-Jutsu?"

Shadow clones were popping out of existence one after another. The Fourth finally allowed himself the smile that he'd been holding back.

"Naruto, I've been dying to meet you too."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

It wasn't long before Naruto found out what was going on. Apparently, the Fourth Hokage had made a miraculous return to the village. After thanking the man who'd given him the information, Naruto had continued his pursuit of the crowd. He'd manage to catch the Fourth as he was delivering a small speech. The gears in his mind went spinning. _I've got to make a good first impression,_ Naruto grinned. _I know exactly how I can do that_

Naruto ducked into a familiar alley-way that he'd found while escaping ANBU a couple years back and slid open a manhole. When safely concealed in the underground tunnel, Naruto created a hundred clones, each transformed into a different looking girl. Each girl was then sent out one by one, mingling seamlessly into the crowd. Naruto giggled proudly to himself at his own genius, and left last in the guise of an older, brown-haired variant of Yamanaka Ino.

 _This is gonna be fun._ He thought as he slid the manhole cover back into place.

Naruto was in for a surprise. His prank failed to prompt the desired reactions. The Fourth had been completely unaffected by his jutsu. Even more surprising was the fact that the Fourth was claiming to be his father. The man was Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash and _the_ Fourth Hokage.. and the man was his dad.

Naruto's shock became disbelief before finally settling on to acceptance.

"Are you really my father?" He whispered. The Fourth nodded.

Naruto clenched his fists. "Where have you been all this time? Old-man Sarutobi and Iruka-sensei were some of the only ones who didn't treat me like dirt. People kept ignoring me so I started pulling pranks to get them to notice me. Everyone hated me, even people I've never met before. It was like I was some criminal or something. If it weren't for the old man, I wouldn't have been allowed in the Academy. Then, when I said that I wanted to become Hokage, everyone just laughed at me like I was stupid," A sob escaped his throat. "but I kept smiling because I was afraid that if I stopped, I'd become the monster they all said I was. I never stopped trying, but no matter how hard I tried, people just kept telling me how worthless I am and how I should just die and everything.. I wished so bad for someone to protect me and to love me like a fierce mom and a stern dad or something to stop everyone from treating me like I didn't deserve to live.." Naruto was babbling and he knew it. For some reason he couldn't stop crying. He had imagined meeting his parents ever since he understood the concept of family. He'd imagined his parents were captured by some evil organization, waiting for a chance to escape and return to their son. Sometimes he liked to think that his parents were some royal family who had lost him at birth and were still searching for him. Other times his imagination would take a darker turn, creating the image of parents who looked down on him with the same hatred and disgust he'd often seen on the faces of the villagers that he'd grown up with. He'd play through many scenarios in which he was finally reunited with his parents no matter how cruel or loving he'd imagined them to be, and not a single one of the them had him crying like a girl (1).

Naruto ducked his head in shame as he rubbed an arm across his eyes to wipe away his tears. "I guess I'm crying because.. because I'm so happy that you're actually here, that I actually have a father and that you didn't throw me away because you didn't want me."

Minato listened to his son with more than a little bit of shock. All the things he had been told about his son had run contrary to what he was hearing now. No one had really lied to him. He'd heard many things about his son: How he was a hard-working shinobi who aspired to become Hokage, how he managed to beat a genius Hyuuga in the Chuunin exams, and how he had subdued the jinchuuriki of Suna with the help of the chief of the toad summons, Gamabunta. Even Jiraiya, Naruto's godfather, had dwelt more on Naruto's training under his tutelage than on the boy's early childhood. He realized that anything he'd heard about his son _before_ he became a genin were fleeting. All he really knew was that Naruto was a prankster who was raised in an orphanage and had been entered in the Academy at seven years of age where he worked really hard and was able to pass along with other students his age.

Minato stood shocked. He knew that expecting his son to be denominated a hero might have been a bit much, but expecting not to have his son grow up living in an environment of discrimination and hatred wasn't very unrealistic at all.

More than the shock, however, was sorrow. He was greatly saddened by his son's plight, and felt sorry that he hadn't been there when he was needed most. AN uncomfortable feeling settled in his guts. He was going to have some words with a few people.

Letting none of these thoughts show on his face, the Fourth knelt and pulled his son into a soft embrace. "I'm so proud of you, Naruto. Despite all the hardships you've faced, you've managed to become a splendid Shinobi and a wonderful person. Don't ever change that." Naruto sniffed loudly.

Minato detached from his son with a smile, his hands remaining on the boy's shoulders. "It's ok to cry."

Naruto shook his head. He was done with crying. Instead, he smiled, giving his dad the same grin that he had on his face earlier when he'd first introduced himself. "Kakashi sensei told me he had a surprise for me waiting at the Main Gates. You were the surprise weren't you?"

"I guess I am. That Kakashi.. you know he was my student right?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Really?! He never told us anything!"

Minato nodded. "We still have to meet Jiraiya-sensei at the village gates. Why don't we get there early so that you have time to tell me what you know about him?"

"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" Naruto cheered enthusiastically. He turned and ran off in the direction of the village gates, forcing his dad to run after him. As he ran, his dad called after him. "Naruto! Wait up!"

The boy smiled as he ran. Tears of joy raced out of his eyes.

This was the best day of his life.

* * *

-Elsewhere-

* * *

Elsewhere, a man and a woman stood dripping wet and naked in the middle of Konoha's food market with only a few bushes to help keep whatever decency they had left, People stared at them with a mixture of expressions. Disgust, amusement, lust..

The couple's faces flared red with anger and shame.

The man grit his teeth. "I hate that kid so much."

"I know Kizashi. I know." The woman nodded in agreement as the two made the long trip back to their house.

* * *

-A/N-

 **Warning: Due to some complaints, I've edited this A/N and turned it into a rant. If you're not interested, hit the next chapter button. :)**

(1)

If you find this analogy to be sexist, then you need to learn to distinguish between the preconceptions of a character and that of the author. I am not my characters.

Second, not all preconceived notions are false. For example, noting that females have certain female-specific anatomical features isn't sexist. Females in general produce more estrogen (conversely, males produce more testosterone). Female bodies build more fat on their chests than male bodies do. That's just the way things are.. biologically speaking. When I see a female, I will instantly assume several biological preconceptions. Is this differentiation? Yes. Is the assumption that a female will have certain anatomical features a preconceived notion? Yes. Is it discrimination? No. Discrimination denotes prejudice, maltreatment and sometimes hatred. Being viewed differently isn't the same as being viewed badly. The differences between the two terms are fairly unambiguous. Sexism is based on discrimination, _not_ differentiation and/or preconceived notions.

If you still think I'm sexist at this point, then there's probably not very much I can do to change that. You're probably one of _those_.. *shivers*.. radical feminists. If so, then with all due respect - I apologize for the fact that you have trouble viewing gender-related differentiation as anything but sexism. AKA looking for discrimination when it isn't there. Anywho. Challenge your beliefs and hopefully we can come to some more amenable settlement. And please don't hate me too much. I'm only human. Just like you. ^-^

Unless you're an alien. In which case, be gentle with the human race. We deserve peace and happiness just as much as you do.

~Mittens


	10. (2) Journey

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Sometimes I can see the vein on my feet. They pop out.

* * *

They talked for some time, stopping only at the behest of Naruto's growling stomach. "Ughh. I'm hunngryy. When's ero-sennin going to get here?"

Minato shrugged. "I was only told to be here by ten.. Jiraiya-sensei is almost never late. Something important must have come up."

"Did Kakashi-sensei tell you to get here at ten too?" Minato nodded as Naruto took up a thinking posture. "Mmmmm.. I know what happened. Kakashi-sensei is _always_ a few hours late when he gives us Genin team meetings. He loves to make us wait. I bet he said for us to get here at ten just to make us wait a few extra hours. That evil pedafeel!"

Naruto's ended his speech by holding his growling belly and crumpling to the floor.

The Fourth resisted the urge to palm his face. _Kakashi probably just wanted to give us some extra time to bond. That Kakashi.. he could have just told us the truth. We could've gone somewhere to eat lunch. Now we're stuck here not even knowing when Jiraiya-sensei is going to arrive._

Not giving voice to any of his thoughts, Minato smiled and pulled out two of the rolls of rice that he'd snapped together this morning. He extended one to the groaning boy. "Here."

Naruto eagerly snatched it and began wolfing it down. Minato chewed thoughtfully on the other one. _I'm going to have to teach him manners from scratch.._

 _-Intermission-_

"..and then I heard, ' _Yo my cute student!'_ " Naruto covered his face with his hands and gave a disturbingly Kakashi-like eye-smile. "And I was like, what the hell?! It's Kakashi sensei! What the heck was he doing here?! And then when I asked him he was like," The boy once again became the spitting image of his Jounin-sensei, "' _Do I need a reason to visit my cute little student?'"_ " Naruto shivered.

Minato raised an eyebrow. "That's _exactly_ what he did to me this morning.."

"Really?!"  
Minato nodded. "We can't let him get away with this."

"Of course not! We're going to prank him back to the Academy!" Naruto yelled. "You'll help me right?"  
Minato smiled. "Of course. Judging by where Jiraiya-sensei is planning to take us, we'll have a couple weeks to plan _exactly_ what we're going to do to him."

Naruto beamed. "So what are you and ero-sennin going to teach me on this training trip?"  
"Hmm, what are we going to teach you.." The Fourth tapped his chin thoughtfully. "I have something that you could work on, but I don't know if you're ready for it."

"I'm ready for anything you can throw at me." Naruto exclaimed with a confident smile.

"We'll see. What made you think this was a training trip anyway?"

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. "Huh? Kakashi sensei told me that Ero-sennin was taking me on a training trip. If this isn't a training trip, then what the hell is it?"

"We're setting out to find Jiraiya-sensei's teammate, the Sannin Tsunade to take up the role of Konoha's Fifth Hokage.. or Jiraiya is and we're tagging along to help convince her to do it." Minato smiled. _That Kakashi is so going to get it_

-Intermission-

After devouring the simple lunch of onigiri and eggs that Minato had brought with him, the two blonde Shinobi began discussing Naruto's Jutsu and fighting techniques. At half past noon, about half an hour after that, Minato began teaching his son the arts of hand-to-hand combat.

When Jiraiya arrived at one in the afternoon. He found the two sparring lightly. Naruto could be heard loudly complaining. "Daad how do you even move so fast?"

"A little Chakra and a lot of practice." Minato's reply rang back clearly. "Keep trying."

The Fourth turned to his mentor, his eyes and his voice a lot brighter than they'd been the night before. "Jiraiya-sensei! You're here!"

Taking advantage of the distraction, Naruto charged his father without reservation. _This time I've got him!_

Only to be sent flying by a well timed sidestep and a heavy forearm to the upper back and shoulder. Minato smiled, unfazed. "I take it you managed to convince them to take her?

"Yup!" The Toad Sage nodded. _He looks a lot better._

"Ero-sennin! You're late!" Naruto leapt off the ground unscathed to stab an accusing finger into the air.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are! We've been here since ten!" Naruto glared.

"I never told you to be here at ten. I specifically told Kakashi that I'd be out around noon. If anything, you should've been here at noon the earliest. What? He told you to come at ten?"  
"Yeah! He did!" Naruto voiced vehemently.  
Minato put a calming hand on his son's shoulder. "We've got two weeks." Naruto nodded,

The Fourth then turned to his mentor. "Shall we head off then, Jiraiya-sensei?"

The Toad Sage grinned. _Those two are getting along quite well._ _Wonder what they're up to?_

"Yeah, let's go."

-Intermission-

Two hundred feet from Konoha's main entrance, a crow sat pecking away on the steel sheets of one of the apartment's rooftop. It had been there since early morning, pecking away at garbage and shiny items. Its beady eyes watched as the distant image of the Sannin Jiraiya and the Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto, strolled out of Konoha with the newly returned Fourth Hokage, Namikaze Minato.

The crow cawed loudly and flew into a concealed alleyway, disappearing in a flurry of feathers.

A mile out from the village, the crow reappeared and leapt lightly onto the hand of Uchiha Itachi. The Sharingan-user closed his eyes as the crow communicated what it had seen to him before disappearing back to wherever it had been summoned from.

Kisame picked his ears. "So can we go yet?"

"Not yet." Itachi replied. "He's left the village, but we should give him a few days to get further from the village before we go in."

"Fuck I'm bored." The mist-Swordsman groaned. "..and Samehada's hungry." He added as an afterthought.

Itachi remained silent, encouraging his blue-skinned partner to carry on. "I don't see why we have to avoid him like this. I bet we could fight him. We're both S-rank nin for crying out loud!" Kisame turned to his partner, waiting for a response.

Itachi decided to indulge him. "That man is 50 years old. No Ninja fights through and survives two wars and lives to that age without having been incredibly powerful. You seem to forget that he's also one of the Sannin. You've seen Orochimaru. Even I couldn't subdue him after his attempt to capture me. Our objective is to capture the Nine-tails, not fight Konoha's strongest Shinobi."

Kisame tilted his head to the sky in frustration. "I know but.. ugh FUCK! A few days?! Really?! How about we compromise? One day at most."

"Two."

" _No."_

Itachi turned his Sharingan eyes to his partner's black ones. "The Fourth Hokage has recently returned to Konoha and is leaving with him." Kisame's eyes widened. Itachi continued without pause. "If both the legendary Sannin _and_ the Yellow Flash were to arrive, we'd be severely outmatched. Two days is already pushing our luck."

"Even with your overpowered Sharingan?"  
Itachi was silent as a rock.

" _Tch!_ Fine." Kisame conceded grudgingly, and the two were quiet for several minutes. Itachi meditated while his partner paced the forest floor, occasionally taking a few practice swings with his massive sword.

Suddenly, the Mist-nin had a revelation. "You better not have been using those Sharingan of yours for that argument. That's just cheating."

The Uchiha smirked. "You're the one who met my eyes."

Kisame twitched. "You petty bastard."

-Intermission-

Yuuhi Kurenai balanced herself on the ledge of a bridge arching over the creek which ran along the edge of Konoha's more remote areas.

To her side, walking on the bridge's mainframe, was the tall, black-haired son of the Third Hokage.

"We should get married."

Kurenai leapt off the ledge, landing lightly on her feet. "What brought this on?"  
Asuma chewed on his unlit cigarette as he carefully weighed his response. "One of these days you're going to get pregnant."

The Genjutsu Mistress scoffed. "We haven't been that careless."

"It could happen." Asuma shrugged. "Regardless, wouldn't it be nice if we could settle down.. start a family together?"

They walked quietly for a few moments. Kurenai frowned. "I don't know."

"What're you worried about?"

"Let's say we _do_ settle down and start a family.. it's goodbye to my Shinobi career until all our kids are old enough to take care of themselves. Then I might be too old or 'inexperienced' to get back into the loop." The woman bit her lips. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to commit to such a sacrifice."

Asuma sighed. "That's such an old-fashion law. I don't see why we can't have other people watch our kids while we're out in the field doing work."

"What, and have a bunch of kids just to have someone else raise them? Asuma, what kind of family would that be? Shinobi work is dangerous. What if we died? Our children would be orphans."  
"The Fourth did it." Asuma chewed his cigarette gruffly. God he wanted to smoke it so badly right now. He'd forgotten his lighter and neither had the correct elemental control to just light the thing with a fire jutsu without causing excessive damage to their surroundings.

"He was Hokage." Kurenai kicked a pebble into the water. "You're not."

The two walked together in amiable silence. They'd broached the subject many times before, but they just couldn't seem to come to a satisfactory solution. Both wanted to settle down, but neither were ready to throw away their Shinobi careers.

As the two walked, they saw another pair of people approaching them casually. Both wore matching cloaks specked with red clouds along with dark cloths shrouding their faces and identical straw hats.

The shorter of the two tipped his hat in greeting. "Excuse me. You wouldn't happen to know where we can find an 'Uzumaki Naruto' would you?"

 _Uzumaki Naruto, Kakashi's student and Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tails?_ Asuma smiled. Things were getting interesting. "We might. Who are you and what business do you have with Uzumaki Naruto?"

"We're friends of his." The masked figure drawled. "If you could just kindly give us his whereabouts, we'd be on our way. We don't want any trouble."

Asuma looked to Kurenai who shrugged. She gave the masked man a smile. "We wish we could help you, but we really don't give away the location of our village's Shinobi to just any random stranger who ask for it. Especially strangers who try to mask their identities. Seems like something only missing-nin would do, you know what I mean?"

Itachi nodded as Kisame pulled the bandage-wrapped Samehada from his back. "I see.

Asuma had already shot a signal for assistance.

With a nod, the two Rogue-nin threw off the cumbersome hats and scarves they'd been wearing.

"Whew! I thought we'd never take those damn things off." Kisame cried with relief as his sword bore down on the bearded Jounin.

Asuma grunted under the force of the blow as he blocked it with his trench knives. "Hoshigaki Kisame!"

Kisame grinned. "That's me. Looks like I'm known even here."

Itachi stood in place, analyzing the abilities of the two Jounin before him. His gaze fell steadily on the woman, who was running quickly through the seals for a Genjutsu. He countered it with his Sharingan, allowing the woman to believe that her illusion had worked as she stood trapped in his. The moment her Jutsu went awry was the moment Kurenai realized that she'd been placed in a counter-illusion. She quickly bit her lips to dispel the illusory tree which held her bound in place to find herself staring straight into the three-tomoe eyes of Uchiha Itachi.

Itachi aimed a slow kick at her face before she could properly recover. Kurenai barely raised her forearms in time to block it but was still sent flying into the water.

It was at this moment that Kakashi happened upon the scene. He quickly figured out what was going on, created a shadow clone, and rushed to the aid of his fellow Jounin mentors.

Itachi turned his gaze to the masked man. "Hatake Kakashi. Copy-nin and user of a thousand jutsus."

Kakashi chose not to respond, his Sharingan eye already revealed. "Asuma, Kurenai. Don't look the Uchiha in the eyes. Go get help. I'll hold them off."

"Oh really?" Kisame gave a small laugh as Asuma and Kurenai raced off to signal reinforcements. He ran through several hand seals and summoned a massive water dragon from the river. _''Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu'"_ Only to have it neutralized by an exact copy of it.

"You fucking jutsu thief. Looks like I'll have to deal with you first." Kisame turned to the copy-nin, but was stayed by his partner.

"Kisame. He's mine. Just watch." Itachi jumped into the water, sizing up his masked opponent.

Kakashi dispersed his shadow clone. _A one vs. one match? How arrogant._ The Jounin smirked. "Your Sharingan is powerful, but you forget, I have one too. Your tricks won't work against me."

"We'll see. Tell us where we can find Uzumaki Naruto and you will be spared." Kakashi responded by sending a fireball in the Uchiha's direction. "' _Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!'"_

 _The most basic Uchiha Technique.._ The missing-nin thought as he blew his own fireball to counter it.

Kakashi used the cover of the fireball to dive underwater. As he prepared a water dragon, he saw several massive water sharks swimming toward him. Still standing above water, Itachi had his hand on the river's surface. " _'Suiton: GoshoKuzame'_ "

Kisame frowned. _That's MY technique.._

Kakashi leapt out of the water, sending three Kunai toward the Uchiha. Itachi threw double the number of kunai, deflecting Kakashi's projectiles with frightening accuracy. The rest flew toward the copy-nin who, upon seeing the movement with his Sharingan eye, wheeled through the air, dodging the kunai aimed at his navel and chest. The third one he caught in midair with lightning-quick reflexes before landing lightly onto the water's surface.

Without a second's pause, Kakashi raised the kunai to parry a slash. Itachi had closed the distance between them with incredible speed. With the help of various Chakra-induced propulsions, Itachi spontaneously sent his other hand rocketing into Kakashi's kunai arm. Unfazed by the loss of his weapon, Kakashi quickly twisted back, delivering two consecutive kicks toward Itachi's side. Itachi leapt up, dodging the kicks and sent identical kicks toward Kakashi's face just as the Jounin was straightening from his previous maneuver. Kakashi ducked forward.

 _As predicted._ Itachi's right leg swung over Kakashi's head, but he changed the trajectory of his second kick, angling his left leg downward and landing it cleanly on the back corner of Kakashi's head.

The blow sent the copy-nin tumbling through the water. Even though his Sharingan had given him the foresight to mitigate the otherwise fatal blow with a small layer of Chakra, he still suffered a dizzying pain as he began feeling the symptoms of head trauma creeping in. Kakashi grit his teeth behind his mask. _Damn. He cracked my skull._

He raised his eye to meet the maddeningly expressionless face of Uchiha Itachi. Itachi's eyes bore into his. "Only an amateur. Your Sharingan will always be just a mere imitation of the real thing."

Kakashi furrowed his eye, unable to look away from the Uchiha's mesmerizing gaze. _What is he talking about?_

Itachi's eyes swirled. "' _Tsukuyomi_ '" Kakashi's world fell to pieces as Konoha took on dark, inverted shadings.

Itachi's voice rang all around him. ' _ **Allow me to show you the true power of the Sharingan'**_

Suddenly, he felt something sharp plunge into his flesh. He winced in pain. _This is only an illusion_.

Kakashi flared his Chakra. Nothing happened. Another kunai sunk into his left leg. Kakashi fell to the floor in agony. His senses became unnaturally sharpened as a flurry of other kunai pierced his body. At the apex of his agony, the pain disappeared and the kunai were gone.

Itachi's voice rang all around him. ' _ **Allow me to show you the true power of the Sharingan**_ ' A kunai sank into his body. Kakashi ran as fast as he could. More kunai stabbed into his lungs, his stomach, his back, his arms, his legs, his feet, and his hands, pinning him into the ground before vanishing into the air.

' _ **Allow me to show you the true power of the Sharingan**_ '

A creeping panic crawled over him as the horrifying scene repeated itself again. _Shit-shit-shit-gotta-get-out-of-here-shit-shit-shit-shit-SHIT!_ He fell, screaming in agony as the kunai once again began pelting his body and hammering him into the ground.

Kakashi was defeated in a matter of seconds. While the Tsukuyomi only required several seconds of application, Kakashi was made to experience seventy hours of torture in an alternate universe. The Jounin collapsed, unconscious from severe mental trauma.

Asuma and Kurenai arrived with Maito Gai in tow just as Kakashi fell face-first into the water.

Kurenai's eyes widened in shock at finding the immaculate Uchiha standing over Konoha's renowned copy-nin. Hoshigake Kisame was standing where they left him. _That Itachi_ _managed to beat Kakashi without receiving a single scratch?! That's insane!_ They'd only been gone for a couple minute tops and had expected to find the masked Jounin battered but still standing at their return. Even with Gai here to join the fight, it was entirely possible that they'd still be defeated. She began to feel a crippling sense of fear. Never in her life had she felt so incredibly outmatched. _How can they be so strong?!_

"Reinforcements.." Itachi looked them over impassively. "and likely more to come. We're not here to fight a two-man war against Konoha. Let's retreat."

Kisame sighed and the two leapt off, racing back down the path they'd came from.

-Intermission-

After an hour of running, the two Akatsuki members finally stopped, their position relatively secure. A crow appeared and landed on Itachi's hand before disappearing in a burst of black feathers. "My crow that had been following the Sannin tells me that Uzumaki Naruto apparently left with him on the trip."

Kisame swore. "Why the hell didn't it come back sooner?"

"Its orders were to tail the sage, not to look for the Jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto. It only came back because it was nearly killed after the Yellow Flash caught it spying on them in the town of Inazaku." Itachi replied in monotone.

"So we're heading to Inazaku next?"

"Yes."

"Damn, we shouldn't have asked them for their Jinchuuriki like that. Now they know what we're after. The Leader's not going to be pleased if he hears about this." The mist-nin scowled. "If we fail to take the boy from both Jiraiya and the Yellow Flash, next time's going to be a huge pain in the ass."

Itachi withheld a smile. "I know."

* * *

-A/N-

I enjoy a well-made coffee-cake. Just not too much. Something small and delectable. Yum.


	11. (2) Contagion

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I wear really thick socks, even in warm weather. Sometimes I wear thin socks.

* * *

On the first day of their journey, the three adventurers set out with fresh energy, moving at a steady pace through the trees. Jiraiya led them since he was the one who knew exactly where they were going. "We'll reach the next town in about six hours moving at this pace. We'll stay overnight when we get there."

His students nodded. Naruto smirked. _Six hours is nothing!_

By the end of the hour, Naruto was starting to feel winded. They'd been jumping through the trees at brusque, ninja speed and had already covered over twenty miles. Naruto's face set in stony determination. Normally, he'd ask for a break, but he didn't want either his dad or Jiraiya to think him weak. _If that old perv can do it, I can do it too!_

-Intermission-

Four hours into their journey, Minato, who held the rear, noticed his son beginning to falter. They'd covered nearly 80 miles. He leapt to the boy's side, paralleling his movement. "Naruto, do you need some rest?"

"No, I'm ok." Naruto shook his head, despite his obvious fatigue.

"Try concentrating Chakra over your thigh and leg muscles before you leap. It'll help."

"Ok." Naruto nodded before picking up his pace.

Minato smiled. _He_ does _work hard.._

Up ahead, Jiraiya called out laconically. "Keep up!"

-Intermission-

Jiraiya turned to his blonde minions as they walked into a village. The Sun had already set about half an hour ago. "This is Karakiro village. We'll stop here for the night. We should reach Inazaku tomorrow. That's the last town we'll be seeing for two or three days. Beyond that is the vast forest of trees that surround the nation of Konoha. We'll be heading a bit Northwest from here and beeline toward Showa Town, a place known for its gambling, fighting arenas, saunas and.." The Toad Sage gave a silly grin. "..various other places."  
Naruto traipsed behind, too tired to even call the Sage out for thinking perverted thoughts. _Ero-sennin could be one helluva tour guide if he wanted to be, when he's not busy being perverted_. "So the old lady you're looking for is in Showa Town?"

"Yup." Jiraiya nodded. "Just don't go calling her 'old' in her face, unless you want to be sent flying."

Minato yawned, stretching his arms into the air. "Let's just find a place to get some sleep before we head out tomorrow." Both he and Jiraiya were operating on the three hours of sleep they had the night before in the old apartment. While the Sage's years helped him to cope better with less sleep, the Fourth wasn't quite at the stage where a few hours of sleep qualified as sufficient just yet.

Without any more words, Jiraiya led his students to a small inn where they were led into a small, empty room. He then went to relieve himself as Minato rolled out a futon on the empty floor.

Naruto did the same and fell gracelessly onto the thin cushion. "Good night dad." He mumbled. It had been a tiring day for him, both physically and emotionally. Of course, it was still the best day of his life, but loathe as he was for it to end, Naruto was not immune to fatigue.

He was asleep before he could hear his father's answering call. "Good night, Naruto."

Jiraiya came back to find the two lying side by side. He grinned. _How adorable. He even forgot to place his security seals._

He picked through his storage scroll. _Now which one has the ink and brush.. ah found it!_

He set the inkpot aside, uncapped it, dipping his brush into its bottomless depths. As he was starting the seal on a corner of the room, he heard a quiet voice drift to his ears. "Jiraiya-sensei."  
"Yeah?"  
"The crow."

 _Sharp as ever._ Jiraiya shook his head in the dark. "I'll take care of it."

The Sage finished the seal and moved to another corner. "Jiraiya-sensei."

God he missed hearing that. Has twelve years really been that long?

"What's up?" He turned to look at his long-lost student.

The Fourth hadn't moved an inch. "I want to talk to you about Naruto.." The voice paused. "Tomorrow."

"Alright." Jiraiya continued drawing his barrier seal. "What about?"

He waited, but received no response. Both his students were fast asleep.

The old Sage shook his head with a soft smile. "Sweet dreams."

-Intermission-

Jiraiya got up at four in the morning to find a crow staring at him from across the street through the window. Its beady eyes glowing unnaturally in the dark. He nearly jumped. _Geez! Doesn't he have a less creepy way to signal me?_

The Sage hopped lightly over the bodies of his two apprentices. He opened the window and, with a quick hand seal and a tiny flare of Chakra, deactivated the barrier seal. He took one last look over his shoulders at the two sleeping Shinobi _Yup. Still asleep_. and propelled himself silently off the window ledge, landing next to the crow without a sound.

Taking out some of the nuts he'd scavenged from the forest, he scattered them on the roof's wooden tiles for the large black bird. "Morning, Kusa-kun."  
The crow nodded and ate a few of the nuts.

"My student noticed you following us in the sky. You should fly lower tomorrow. We'll be heading to Inazaku, so you don't have to worry about keeping us in your sights."

The crow nodded its head to indicate that it'd heard what the Sage had told it. It snacked up one more nut before leaping onto the Toad Sage's hand. Jiraiya closed his eyes as it sent him the message, the crow's memories filling his head.

Its mission done, the bird leapt off the Sage's hand onto the roof to eat up a few more nuts, pausing only to tilt its head slightly at the spiky-haired human.

Jiraiya nodded in confirmation. "Good work."

The crow pecked at a few more nuts and then flew off.

-Intermission-

Jiraiya woke them before dawn. His loud voice flooding the room. "Rise and shine kids!"

Minato sat up. Naruto groaned and covered his ears.

Jiraiya grinned. "Don't want to miss out on the morning training session do we?"

 _Training?_ Training with the Jiraiya of the Sannin usually meant new awesome techniques. New awesome techniques meant getting stronger. Getting stronger meant becoming more badass and getting acknowledged. Naruto sat up immediately. "Yes! Training!"

Minato smiled down at him as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Morning, Naruto."

Naruto turned to his father. He still couldn't believe that he actually had a dad and that his dad was the Fourth Hokage. It had all happened so quick, but it already felt as if his dad had always been there with him. "Morning-dad!"

The scene warmed the Toad Sage's heart. "Alright you sleepy heads. Listen up. We're going to do some morning exercises, get some breakfast and then we're heading out."  
"But what about training?!"

"Exercise is part of training."

Naruto pouted and muttered under his breath. "You big, perverted liar."

Jiraiya's grin widened. "We'll be starting near the local hot spring. I heard the ladies like guys who work out."

Naruto's voice became loud and accusing. "You big, nasty, disgusting pervert!"

The Fourth palmed his face. "Don't encourage him."

-Intermission-

It turned out that in this village, the only people who went to the hot springs at five in the morning were really, really old people. Jiraiya hid behind a rock and scanned the spring below for any signs of smooth, supple skin. He frowned. _Just my luck_.

Behind him, his students were going through some stretches.

Naruto was ready to explode, he didn't care what his dad said about encouraging the man. This was wrong.

"Ero-sennin!" Jiraiya turned and tried to signal the blonde to quiet down. "You are disgusting and gross and invade people's privacy and you shouldn't be peeking like that. It's wrong and-"

The boy's tirade was interrupted by another voice. "Oooh Jiraiya the Sannin! What a pleasure! We wouldn't mind if you joined us, would we ladies?"

A number of voices croaked negatively, the sound of rippling water carried loudly as the women left the water. They could be heard approaching the rock behind which the Sage was hidden, and a few - probably former Shinobi - had already made it up to the outcrop.

Naruto took one look and gagged. Minato stifled a giggle.

The women pressed on. "You were quite cute back in the day. I remember you had dashing hair and a nicely angled face. You wouldn't happen to still have that wart on your nose would you?"

The sage's laughed nervously as he started to panic. "Uh, that's ok. I, uh, have some errands to attend to. Maybe next time!"

"Oooh he's shy! How cute! Come here!" The first of the women rounded the rock and gave the Sage a lecherous grin. "Oh my, you're still kind of cute!"

With a yelp, the Toad Sage ran like his life depended on it. He flew past his students, a flurry of words trailing behind him. "I'll see you guys later at the other side of the village. Don't be late!"

By this time, most of the women had managed to climb the rocky outcrop. "That ought to teach him a lesson." The lead woman smirked and turned to a speechless Minato. "Oh hey you're _really_ cute."

Voices began chiming in.

"He looks just like the Fourth Hokage!"

"Ohhh! He does!"  
"He even has the haircut."  
"Well, the Fourth _was_ quite a fashion icon back in the day."

A number of heads nodded in agreement.

Minato backed away apologetically. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I think it's time for us to go. Jiraiya-sensei will be waiting for us at the village's West entrance. I apologize for his behavior." He bowed before turning to Naruto, who was writhing on the ground, holding his stomach. Tears were falling from his eyes as he shook in involuntary spasms. "Naruto. Let's go."

"Ok, hold on." Naruto choked. Minato waited patiently as his son gagged. His lips began to twitch. Whatever was happening to his son, it was dangerously contagious.

* * *

-A/N-

Mocha chocolate. it really _takes the cake._ Heheh.


	12. (2) Flubbergusted

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have hair on my legs. They snag on my pants. I hate them.

* * *

They made good headway the second day of their during, reaching Inazaku by early afternoon with only a quick stop for lunch before that. With the tip about Chakra concentration he received the day before, Naruto was able to increase both his speed and endurance manifold. Who knew a little application of Chakra to the limbs made so much difference? Naruto thought with confusion. _Why didn't Kakashi-sensei tell us about this?_

Actually, looking back to the Chuunin exam matchup between Sasuke and Gaara, he was sure that the masked cyclops _did_ tell them about it.. or at least he did to Sasuke. There was no way Sasuke could move as fast as Rock Lee with just one month of training.

Ten meters behind him, his father was having similar thoughts. _What the hell Kakashi? You couldn't teach my son something as simple as Chakra sprinting?_ Sure it was a waste of Chakra without perfect or near-perfect control, but his son was an Uzumaki.

Naruto was practically _made_ of Chakra, and that wasnt even taking into account the Nine-tails that resided inside him. Kakashi was one of the most perceptive human beings alive. There was simply no way that he could have missed the fact that Naruto had more Chakra than nearly all of Konoha's genin put together. _What if not knowing how to Chakra-sprint had gotten him killed_?!

Minato frowned and mentally added this to the list of things-Kakashi-is-going-to-hear-about-later.

The trees whizzed past them in blur. Jiraiya grinned. _Looks like I can pick up the pace._ "Yo!" He called back without stop. "If we pick up the pace, we can reach Inazaku by mid-afternoon! Then we'll have time to relax and look around." _And I get extra time to check out the ladies._

Wordlessly, the three Konoha-nin redoubled their efforts with a burst of speed.

The Sage giggled. _Oh yes. We'll have_ plenty _of time_.

-Intermission-

They arrived in Inazaku at four in the afternoon. Jiraiya rubbed his palms together in anticipation. "You see those big blue tiles up ahead. That's the Inazaku Town Hotel." He reached into his pockets. "Here's some money. Ask them for the Viewing Room. They'll know what you're talking about."

Naruto scratched his head as his dad took the coins. "But ero-sennin.. what about you? Aren't you coming with us?"

"I've got research to do." Jiraiya frowned. "And stop calling me that. I still haven't forgiven you for what you did to me back in Karakiro. I'll be back in time for dinner." Without further ado, the Sage disappeared with a shunshin.

If he had stayed any longer, he would have heard Naruto's indignant reply. "What?! Forgiven ME?! _I_ haven't forgiven _YOU_ for leaving us there! _YOU'RE THE ONE WHO WAS PEEPING! Ero-sennin! EROJIJI!_ "

Naruto stamped his feet and glared at the spot where the Toad Sage was standing seconds ago. Many passersby stopped to stare at the spectacle, some saw the Fourth and began to whisper. ' _Hey, that looks like the Fourth Hokage.'_

' _Hey, it does..'_

Minato palmed his face, gazing up in exasperation. As his eyes glazed over the clouds, he noticed a black speck circling loftily in the sky. The Fourth frowned. _The Toad contract doesn't allow for any other summons so I_ know _that that crow doesn't belong to us. Either Jiraiya-sensei failed to take care of it, or it's an ally. I'm going to find out which._

Minato reached into his pouch. "Naruto."  
Naruto turned to his father, his anger abated. "Huh?"  
"Take these." MInato pressed a three-pronged kunai and the money he'd gotten from Jiraiya into his son's hands. "You'll have to register at the Hotel for us. I'll be right back. There's something I need to take care of."

 _Why?_ Naruto took the money and the kunai. "Where are you going?"

The Fourth paused for a brief second before deciding that there was no point keeping his son in the dark. "Someone's been spying on us. I'm going to try to find out who and why."

Naruto nodded gravely. "Ok." He pocketed the money and stared inquisitively at the kunai. "How does this thing work?"

Minato took out a matching copy of the weapon that Naruto held in his hand and pointed at the tag wrapped around the handle. "See this tag?"

Naruto nodded.

"It's a sensor seal with a three meter radius. I can sense everything within the seal's spatial parameters and position myself anywhere in that space at will."

Naruto scratched his head. "I don't get it."

"Basically, I can teleport to that kunai from anywhere at any time." Minato explained.

Naruto's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Ok. Got it! Why's it shaped like this?"

"So that other people can tell it apart from normal kunai." Minato replied.

Naruto examined the prongs. "Why?"

The Fourth licked his lips. "It's a long story. I'll tell you when I get back alright?"

"Ok." Naruto nodded.

Without another word, the former Kage sent his kunai flying up into the air. He disappeared instantly, leaving Naruto standing alone at the entrance of Inazaku's bustling main-street.

A few people chose this time to walk up to him. "Hey, boy. Was that man you were just talking to the Fourth Hokage?"

"Umm. I have something I need to do. Sorry!" Naruto backed away apologetically before disappearing into the crowd.

"Hey! _Wait!_ "

* * *

-A/N-

I went and edited every single A/N. Less fluff. More stuff. Enjoy. Also, I had rice today.


	13. (2) Intermission

A/N: I don't own Naruto. Crossover incoming. Watch out. Also, I like wearing comfortable, long-sleeved pants. Mobility over style!

* * *

Ogino Chihiro yawned.

She'd been working at her family's establishment ever since she was a little girl. The place was once a bathhouse, but about a year back, they'd started to receive various complaints from the customers about seeing a large, white-haired monster roaming the bathhouse ceilings and walls. The monster was most frequently seen around the bathhouse springs where people bathed. The staff never caught hide nor tail of this monster, and in spite of the management's attempts at catching it, the thing had never been apprehended.

Even Chihiro's trap, consisting of several trigger-nets and one of the magazines she'd found in her father's desk, had failed to do the job. The ropes had been triggered and the magazine had been taken, but no monster was found among the nets. It was at this point that Chihiro's mother had decided that enough was enough. The Ogino family establishment wasn't going to harbor some peeping bathhouse monster. No way. No how. Soon after, Ogino bathhouse became a hotel, and Chihiro its accountant, inventory manager, and front-desk clerk during the afternoons.

The renovation wrought many changes. They lost a lot of former bathhouse customers and the once booming establishment was forced to operate on a loss for a while. They were forced to change the interior design of the complex, adding walls and roofs, knocking down former bathhouse structures to make way for living accommodations, etc. After weeks of construction, they'd finally gotten the place into better shape. The Ogino establishment was back in business as Inazaku's official town hotel.

Funnily enough, the change in business models was the reason that they were finally able to catch the bathhouse monster.

On the second day of the Hotel's official opening, a tall, white-haired man walked right through the front door with a look of horror on his face.

Chihiro, who had been working the desk at the time, had given him a customary greeting. "Hi! Welcome to the Inazaku Hotel! Can I help you check out a room!" She smiled as cheerily as she could.

The man only stared, flabbergasted. "How could you?! How could you do this?! This place.. this used to be such a wonderful place!" At this the man fell to his knees, muttering incoherently. "My research.. How could you.."

Several people picked their way past him and Chihiro turned her attention away to help set up rooms for a few customers. After the line of customers had been dealt with, she looked back to the man who was still kneeling where she last saw him. "Sir?"

No response.

"Are you okay? Can I help you with something?"

The man stood up and straightened. "Actually. Yes. I'd like to talk to the manager of the Hotel."

 _I can't leave this desk unmanned_. Chihiro tilted her head, the smile still plastered on her face. "Is there a problem, sir?"

The man nodded seriously. "Yes. There is a very big problem."

Chihiro sighed. "Ok, hold on." She looked around for a few moments before spying one of the employees coming down the stairs with a bucket of water and a mop hanging over his shoulder. "Haku! Could you get mother? We have a guest who has something really important to tell her!"

The man raised a hand to the back of his head, ruffling his long, spiky white hair. "Well, it's not really _that_ important.."  
Haku deadpanned at the 'guest' before responding affirmatively. "Right away, Ogino-san. Let me just return these to the storage room."

"Ok." Chihiro replied and Haku walked off. She began to examine the man. _Long spiky white hair.. green arms poking out of a red vest.. it can't be.._

"Sir? You wouldn't happen to know how to stick to walls and ceilings would you?"

The man gave a broad grin. "Of course! I'm a top rate Shinobi! The Sage of Toads, Wooer of Women, author of the Icha-Icha series, the great Sannin Jiraiya!" The man squatted low, his palms held together over his head.

Chihiro nodded. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. _She took my introduction surprisingly well.._

The girl reached under the desk and pulled out a mask. Jiraiya pursed his lips. _Why does that look familiar?_  
Chihiro smiled. "Could you put this on for me?"  
The Wooer of Women scratched his head and decided that there was no harm in the request. "Sure." He nodded and took the mask, snagging it snugly onto his face.

 _I knew it!_ Chihiro's smile widened as her mother came strolling in through a side door. "Chihiro! Who's the guest that's having issues with our services?"

Her mother took one look at the masked Sannin standing in the middle of the lobby and stopped. " _That's him! That's the white-headed monster!_ "

 _So that's why this mask was familiar… crap.._ Jiraiya blanched and took off the mask. The woman marched toward him with a look of determination on her face. The Toad Sage stood dumbly as she took firm hold of his arm and pulled him toward the back. "Come with me."

He turned his head to the desk clerk, begging her with his eyes to help him. Chihiro smiled. "I hope what you have to say is really important."

Jiraiya's mouth opened and closed in shock. "YOU SET ME UP!"

Chihiro nodded and waved. "Have a good day sir!"

Jiraiya frowned as the Hotel Manager pulled him through to an office and closed the door aggressively. "You've got a whole lot of explaining to do."

Jiraiya sighed and resignedly allowed himself to take whatever punishment that the Hotel matron wanted to dole out on him.

The woman began to run off about the harassment he's caused to the customer's, the inappropriateness of his actions, the trouble he's caused, the expenses he'd incurred, and how she didn't care if he was some big-shot Ninja, he was going to pay up.

Jiraiya only heard half of it. His mind was still in disarray. _She set me up!_ The woman suddenly stopped talking. He nodded outwardly to show that he was paying attention. The woman rambled on about the terms of reimbursement. _At least she was cute.._

The Sage of Toads would spend the next few months of his life working for the Ogino family.

-Back to Present Day-

Chihiro stared sleepily at the clock behind her. It was almost four. Her shift ended at six. _Two more hours.._

The sound of ringing bells shook her out of her reverie. Stifling another yawn, she smiled cheerily. "Hi! Welcome to the Inazaku Hotel! I can get you a room when you're ready!"

"Hey Chihiro-san. Long time no see!" The group that walked in the door moved toward the desk.

After giving them their keys and directions, Chihiro turned tiredly to the clock. Only a few minutes had passed.

She sighed. Normally she was a lot more energetic, but for some reason, she just didn't feel it today.

She placed her head on the desk. _So sleepy.._

Just as she was about to fall asleep, the sound of ringing bells snapped her up. She smiled. "Hello! Welc-" and stopped.

 _Whoa._ A short blonde kid plowed through the doorway followed by a small crowd of people. A rabble of words blared into the hotel lobby:

' _Come back you little piece of shit!'_

' _This is the Fourth Hokage we're talking about here!'_

' _We have a right to know.'_

' _It won't take too much time'_

' _Why are we chasing him again?'_

' _Kid I only want an interview!'_

' _We've got him cornered!'_

The kid ran all the way to the desk and jumped behind the counter, looking up at her pleadingly as he cowered behind the desk.

Chihiro nodded and turned to the crowd. "Hey! If you don't leave _right now_ , I'm going to have you all written up for trespass!"

' _But what about the kid?'_

' _Yeah. Shouldn't you kick him out too?_

Murmurs of agreement rustled through the crowd.

Chihiro looked down at the kid before turning back to the crowd. "That's up to the hotel's jurisdiction. Now if any of you are still in here by the count of three, I'll be adding a charge of child abuse to that report. One!"

A few people shrugged and turned back, others muttered unhappily, but followed.

"Two!"

The rest of the crowd filtered out, leaving one scruffy, middle-aged straggler. who leaned back, closing the door with a sigh of relief.

Chihiro narrowed her eyes. "Sir. You must be really stupid if you thought I was joking about those charges."

"Not at all." The man waved his hands through the air. "I'm actually a customer."

With that, his features literally melted, taking on a different shape. His hair lengthened, his skin smoothed, and his eyes changed from brown to blue.

The man grinned.

Chihiro gulped. _Isn't he supposed to be… dead?_

"Thank you so much for your assistance earlier." The man inclined his head slightly. "I hope you'll forgive us for bringing the crowd in."

"Dad! " The boy jumped up, recognizing the sound of his father's voice. "Why didn't you just teleport to the kunai? You took forever!"

"In the middle of _that_ crowd?" The man replied as he walked toward the desk.

The boy paused. "Oh.. right."

The father shook his head. "We'd like to take the viewing room if that is available."

"Of course sir." Chihiro checked the register. She looked up, ignoring the little leap she felt in her heart as her eyes passed over the man's face. "It is available. That'll be 800 ryo if you're only staying for the night."

The man nodded. "Naruto."

The boy - Naruto - pulled out some coins, counted out the appropriate amount, and placed it on the counter.

Chihiro smiled. "And your names please?"

"Namikaze Minato." The man pointed at himself and then at his son. "He's-"

"Uzumaki Naruto!" the boy exclaimed.

"Right." Chihiro brushed the names onto the roster.  
"One other person will also be joining us later tonight. His name is Jiraiya."

"Ji-rai-ya. Got it." Chihiro's eyes widened. "Wait.. _that_ Jiraiya?"

"Depends on what you mean by ' _that',_ " Naruto chimed in. "Do you mean it as in _that_ pervert Jiraiya or do you mean ' _that_ ' as in _that_ Sannin Jiraiya?"

Chihiro's brow furrowed in concentration. "Um.. both?"

Naruto grinned. "Then yes. He's _that_ Jiraiya."

Chihiro resisted the urge to roll her eyes and smiled brightly. "Well here are your keys. I hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thanks, Nee-chan!" Naruto snatched the keys and ran off.

Chihiro watched him disappear up the stairs before turning to look at the clock. " _4:20_.." She sighed, dropping into her seat. Taking out a small cup and kettle, she poured herself a drink. As she downed the water, her eyes met the cerulean blue ones of Konoha's former Kage. He was still standing where she'd left him.

Chihiro let slip a tiny _Eep!_ of surprise. She carefully placed her cup onto the desk and covered her mouth to stifle her coughs as the water slid down her windpipes.

 _Cute._ Minato smothered his amusement and donned a look of understanding on his face. "You forgot to tell us where the viewing room is."

 _Woops….._ Chihiro flushed. "I'm sorry sir! It's.." Her mind went completely blank. _...the absolute worst possible time for this to happen_.

"Hold on!" She reached into a drawer and pulled out a random book of records and began flipping through it as she collected her thoughts. _Calm down Chihiro. Calm. Down._

"Ah!" She exclaimed, pointing at nothing in particular. "It's right here! Fourth floor, the entire left side. You can't miss it."

"Thank you." Minato nodded. "I have one more request."

"Yes?" Chihiro smiled professionally. _What did I forget now?_

The Fourth's eyes bore into hers. "If it isn't too much trouble, I'd like this establishment keep our stay a secret. We want to avoid another incident like the one you just saw earlier."

Chihiro nodded, unable to say anything more. Her heart fluttered traitorously in her chest.

"It will be very much appreciated. Thank you." Minato smiled and appeared in a flash near the kunai that he'd given his son earlier. For some reason, Naruto had run all the way up the stairs thinking that the viewing room would be on the top floor.

"Wow you got up here fast." Minato commented.

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "Yeah.. but that's the problem. The key doesn't fit.. I don't think this is the right room, and I'm not sure where we're supposed to be going."

Minato ruffled his son's hair. "Fourth floor. To the left. You can't miss it."

Naruto pouted.

Back in the lobby, Chihiro was smiling at empty space. "Glad to be of assistance."

And then she realized that Namikaze Minato, Yellow Flash and Fourth Hokage of Konoha had magically disappeared.

She turned to the clock: _4:24.._ and plopped her face onto the desk. _Today's just not my day._

* * *

-A/N-

Rate. Review. Do it. Do it now. Or the kitten dies. I swear on me mum.

Just kidding I don't have a kitten.

But seriously. Do it. Or else.


	14. (2) Secrets

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have a light green T-shirt. I wear a lot of green. And blue.

* * *

Jiraiya checked the time. _Ten minutes until six._ It was time to head back. The girls squirmed in his arms. "Jiraiya-sama. Tell us more about the time you took out the giant, fire-breathing Salamander!"

The other girl agreed. "Yeah! We want to hear more about it! Jiraiya-sama!"

The Toad Sage laughed loudly. "I would love to but it's time for me to go."

"Awe you don't like us anymore?" The girls pouted and released his arms from their grasps.

"How can I ever stop liking you?" Jiraiya grinned. "I have important Ninja things to attend to. I'll be back later. Save a spot for me 'til then."

"We will!" The girls chimed. "Come back any time! We'll be waiting!"

Jiraiya shook his head appreciatively as he left the establishment. _What talent.._

He reached into his pockets and took out the small strips of paper that the girls had slipped to him while he held them tightly in his arms.

He scanned the papers quickly.

A faction of Iwa was pushing for the Fourth's assassination. _After all these years, they still wanted revenge._ The Toad Sage clicked his tongue in a mixture of disapproval and disbelief.

The old Tuschikage, Onoki, had tried to talk down such notions, pushing for neutrality with every breath. On the surface, it appeared that he'd succeeded, but it wasn't going to be long before the younger generation, hot on the flames of revenge, began secretly sending covert assassination attempts into the Hidden Leaf.

Chakra swirled blue in his hand. catching the bits of paper in its rotation and shredding them to tiny bits.

Jiraiya frowned. _I guess you don't just kill 1000 Iwa Shinobi without leaving behind some desire for vengeance from their friends or families._

With a body flicker, he arrived at the entrance of Inazaku's Town Hotel.

The Toad Sage strolled in through the doors to the sound of bells and a familiar greeting.

"Good Evening! Welcome to the Inazaku Hotel!" The girl behind the desk sang cheerily before getting a better look at him. Her eyes widened. "Jiraiya-san! Welcome back!"

"Yo, Chihiro." the Sage returned with equal cheer as he made his way toward the desk. "You're prettier than ever."

Chihiro narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. "And you're just as lecherous as ever."

Jiraiya grinned. "Have my students checked in yet?"

"They have." Chihiro confirmed. "They went out earlier to get some food, but they got back thirty minutes ago."

"Up in the viewing room?"

The girl nodded before the full meaning of the Sage's previous words hit her. "Jiraiya-san, I didn't know you taught the Fourth Hokage."

"Of course!" Jiraiya jumped up with a smile. With a poof of smoke, a large toad appeared beneath him, buoying him up near the ceiling.

Chihiro grimaced at the familiar routine. _Dear god. W_ _hat have I done?_

The Toad Sage began hopping to the side on one foot with a hand extended forward. The toad, having quickly regained its bearings from having been so suddenly summoned, gazed sympathetically into Chihiro's eyes. "I am the keeper of peace-" Jiraiya flipped out two paper fans. "-the teacher of Kage-" He twirled, his hair swirling through the air. "-Man among men-" Flaring the fans open, he struck a wide stance. "-the legendary Sage of Toads! Jiiraiyaaa!"

The toad disappeared in a large puff of smoke, leaving behind wide, slimy imprints on the Lobby floor. The 'Man among men' stood with a silly grin plastered on his face, his fans still raised high in the air.

"I'm sorry I ever said anything." Chihiro said with a sigh. The blot of slime began spreading across the floor. "And you're cleaning that up."

Jiraiya's grin faltered. _That Gama needs to stop hanging out in the swamps so often.._

Not giving voice to his complaint, the Sage of Toads began to make his way to the Hotel's storage room. "I'll get the mop."

-Intermission-

Jiraiya walked up to the Viewing Room that he'd help in constructing a year back. He smiled at the thought. _Brings back memories._

He opened the door to be greeted by the voice of an irate blonde.

"Ero-sennin! Where've you been?!"

The Sage turned his eyes to his older student - Minato smiled apologetically - before glancing decidedly at his younger pupil. Naruto tapped his foot impatiently.

Jiraiya smiled, amused. "Why are you so mad at me all the time?"  
"Seriously?" Naruto's eyes widened. "Well first, you act totally irresponsible and leave us to go off alone in order to look at girls. Second, you told him!-" here Naruto pointed at his father. "-all about my sexy jutsu! You completely messed up my prank! Third, you've been _totally_ blowing off on training me. Fourth! You left us with all the old ladies after they found out you were peeping. That's _totally_ messed up."

 _Serves you right._ The Sage smirked. _You're the one who got their attention._

"Fifth!" The boy paused. "Fifth.. uhm. Well you do a ton of nasty things and you deserve to have people be mad at you." Naruto crossed his arms.

"Well.. I have important things to do every once in a while. Can't blame me for that right?" Jiraiya laughed, gazing pointedly at Naruto's father. "You're spoiling him rotten." He stated bluntly.

Naruto ducked his head quietly. He didn't mean to shame his father.

Minato shrugged. "We were talking about pranks."

Jiraiya put a hand to his face and gave an exaggerated groan. "And here I was finally weaning him from that habit."

"Oh!" the Fourth quickly changed the subject. "We got some food too."  
Jiraiya nodded. "So I've heard."

"It's not ready yet, but it will be done in a few moments." Minato smiled brightly. "Naruto's a great cook."

Naruto grinned sheepishly at the comment. He'd lived alone most of his life and had learned to cook out of necessity.

"Mmm, that _does_ smell good." The Toad Sage took a deep whiff before turning to his younger student. "How come you never cooked for me before?"

Naruto pouted and muttered under his breathe. "You never asked. You just assumed I didn't know how." He looked down. "Thanks for buying me food though."

Jiraiya smiled. "A growing boy's got to eat!"

"Speaking of growing boys.." The Fourth chimed in cheerfully. "Naruto. You should go watch the meat. It'll take a while to cook, but you don't want it to get burnt. Make sure you're there to take it out right when it's ready."

Naruto nodded and left. There was no way he was screwing up the first meal he's making for his dad.

Minato dropped his smile. "Jiraiya-sensei."

The Sage tapped his chin. "This is about what you said you wanted to tell me the night before isn't it?"

The Fourth nodded. "Did you know the first thing Naruto told me when he first realized that I was his father?"

Jiraiya shook his head, giving his student the signal to continue.

Minato's voice fell placid as he recited his son's words from memory. "' _Everyone hated me... like I was some criminal… but I kept smiling because I was afraid that if I stopped, I'd become the Monster they all said I was...'_ "

Jiraiya sighed inwardly. He had an idea where this was going. The Fourth continued, the strain clear in his voice. "' _No matter how hard I tried, people just kept telling me how worthless I am and how I should just die.'_ "

Minato grit his teeth and looked pointedly at his mentor as he headed into the last segment. "' _I wished so bad for someone to protect me.. and love me.. and stop everyone from treating me like I didn't deserve to live.'_ "

Silence hung heavy in the air.

Minato gazed searchingly into the eyes of the man who he'd once considered to be his father. Realizing he wasn't going to receive a response just yet, he continued.

"He was crying." Minato bit back a sob. "The pain I heard in his voice.." Tears of sorrow and anger rolled out of his eyes. His voice dropped dangerously low. "It makes me want to kill them all for making him to suffer like that. It makes me wonder about my sacrifice. It makes me wonder if Kushina should have died at all. I could've taken her to receive medical care instead of chasing after the Nine-tails."

His voice took on a bitter, accusing tone. "You could've told me where Tsunade was. As long as she was still in the Fire nation, I could've brought her back in less than ten minutes. Kushina might have lived."

His mentor - his Jounin-sensei - his father figure said nothing.

Minato snarled uncharacteristically. "Konoha doesn't deserve the peace it has."

Jiraiya furrowed his brows. "Minato. You don't want to go there."

"Don't I?" The former Kage laughed. "What are you going to do to stop me? I'm one of the most powerful Shinobi alive."

"Minato.." The Toad Sage paused as he weighed his words carefully. "The fear of Bijuu and Jinchuuriki is deeply ingrained into our culture, and the Nine-tails' attack greatly magnified that fear. You shouldn't blame the people for the ideals taught to them ever since they were born. They simply don't know any other way of thinking. Killing them won't cause the fear to go away. It will only create more fear and more hatred. If you want to create a world in which people truly understood one another, then you have to change their perceptions. That's the only way to create true peace."

The Fourth shook his head. "You still could've taken him in and raised him as your own."

Jiraiya gave his student a hard look. "You know my life better than anyone else. I have to be constantly out in the field doing reconnaissance and maintaining my network. I wanted your son to grow up with people his age in a place he could come to call home, not in an environment of constant travel and strife."

"That's still better than what he went through."

The Sage shrugged. "In hindsight, perhaps, but we couldn't have known that at the time."

"I don't want to hear any more of your excuses." The Fourth whispered softly. He turned his back to look out into the streets through the room's clear glass walls. Naruto's words played through his mind on repeat. "I'm going to hear what Kakashi has to say before I make my decision."

Jiraiya nodded silently. It will have to do for now.

Minato turned. "I have one more thing I want to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Jiraiya asked.  
"It's about the crow." Minato replied.

The Sannin feigned ignorance. "I thought I told you to not worry about it."

"Easier said than done." Minato paused before continuing. "I tagged it with a Flying Thunder God marker."

Jiraiya hid his surprise under a mask of curiosity. "Go on."  
"When the crow de-summoned itself, it landed on the hand of a man I don't recognize. The man next to him however, had an immense Chakra signature. It's on par with that of a Bijuu. There's only one person I know of who has such a reputation." Minato looked expectantly at his mentor.

Jiraiya nodded. "Hoshigaki Kisame. The most powerful of the Seven Mist Swordsmen."

"I also know that he defected and joined a criminal organization known as the Akatsuki while I was supposed to be dead." Minato's face reflected the gravity of his words. "The next time the man summons that crow, I'm activating the seal."

Jiraiya's mind set in turmoil. Should he tell his student the truth? That Uchiha Itachi was his spy contact in the Akatsuki? That the man had only acted on the village's orders when he committed the Uchiha Massacre? _No. This is not my secret to reveal. If he doesn't choose to reveal it when they clash, then that's his prerogative._

Organizing his thoughts in a matter of seconds, the Toad Sage decided to give his student his assent. "I understand. Be careful."

"Of course, I don't plan on getting killed." Minato gave his mentor a grim gaze. "But if I don't come back, please make sure my son receives proper care this time."

"I'll do that." Jiraiya nodded before turning away. "Welp! I'm hungry. I'm going to go see how your son is handling the food."

He walked to the kitchen door and pushed it open. "How's the food doing? I'm starved!"

"The potstickers are ready." Naruto pointed at a black pot. "You can take some if you promise to stop being a pervert."

Jiraiya moved toward the pot and lifted its cover to the sight of a tantalizing pile of well-cooked potstickers. He put the cover back on and turned to his younger pupil. "Never."  
"Well then, Ero-sennin." Naruto stood up with a satisfied grin and began pushing the Toad Sage out of the kitchen. "You're just going to have to wait."

* * *

-A/N-

I pronounce this: Ay-Enn


	15. (2) Aftermaths

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have two pairs of shorts. One is the color of YOUTH (green). The other one is white. I wear the green one more often because YOUTH!

* * *

Maito Gai raced forward as fast as his weighted legs could carry him. He dove into the water and slid his hands around his friend's midriff, lifting the man out of the water before he could drown. Asuma arrived behind soon after.

"Is he alive?"

Konoha's Green Beast swam to shore and laid his burden onto the grass that grew along the shoreline. He quickly checked Kakashi's pulse. "He's alive. I'm taking him to the hospital."

Without further words, Gai flipped the silver-haired Jounin onto his back and disappeared in a burst of incredible speed.

Kurenai remained standing where she was when they'd first arrived with Gai. Despite her years of Shinobi conditioning, the Genjutsu Mistress was shaking with fear. It was a feeling she remembered only once before during the night the massive Nine-tailed Fox had plowed through their village, its suffocating Chakra limitless beyond imagining.

She took a step toward the other remaining Jounin at the scene, her mental condition disturbing her balance. Asuma was by her side in an instant, holding her steady by the elbow. "Are you hurt?"

Kurenai shook her head and collapsed into his arms. "I felt so weak.. I was so scared. When I saw Kakashi defeated like that, I just.."

Asuma held her close but said nothing.

Kurenai whispered quietly into his shoulders. "How can they be so strong?"

Asuma shook his head. Some people were just born with greater talents. Konoha's copy-nin, Kakashi of the Sharingan and one of the village's top assassins had been one such person. Even before he'd gotten his Sharingan, the perpetually-masked Shinobi had been able to run circles around his peers. To watch such a man be beaten so easily was demoralizing to say the least.

People like Uchiha Itachi simply made everyone else seem weak.

"I'm not sure I can do this anymore." The Genjutsu Mistress mumbled.

"That's just your fear speaking. You'll get over it." Asuma said comfortingly. "If every Shinobi gave up after facing a near-death experience, Shinobi wouldn't exist."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing." Kurenai sighed. "I'm so tired of all the death and all the fighting. Maybe we _should_ settle down."

Asuma gave her a squeeze in the back. "I know how much you love your job. If you quit now, you're going to regret it later."

"I'd be OK with it if we quit together. We have enough money. We could start a business. Something peaceful."

Asuma chuckled. "And here just a few minutes ago you were saying how you weren't ready to let go of this career."

"And here I thought you wanted to get married." Kurenai pushed him lightly on the shoulder.

Asuma smiled frankly. "I still do."

"Then-?"

"A flower shop would be nice."

"The Yamanaka already run one of those."

"You can never have too many flower shops."

Kurenai laughed. "But you don't know anything about flowers."

"I can learn." Asuma shrugged nonchalantly.

Kurenai gave him a quick peck on the lips. "We'll discuss this later. Let's go see how Kakashi's doing."

The Sarutobi nodded. "Let's go."

-Intermission-

Gai paced the hospital lobby rapidly. He couldn't stand still and they'd kick him out of the emergency room for it. Something about getting in the way.

He frowned, the look contrasting his usual smile. _Kakashi please be ok. Kakashi please be ok. Kakashi please be ok._

A medic-nin walked out of the room. Gai immediately grabbed her by the shoulders. "HOW IS HE? IS HE OK? IS HE GOING TO BE FINE?"

The medic winced. "I'm not going to tell you if you don't get out of my personal space."

Gai backed off quickly with an apologetic bow.

The medic-nin nodded. "He'll live."

The man in green sighed in relief.

"But his mind's extremely unstable. He's suffering the worst mental trauma we've ever seen."

Gai furrowed his brows. "What does that mean?"

The medic shook her head sympathetically. "It means he might never wake up."

"WHAAT?! IS THERE NOTHING YOU CAN DO?!"

The medic frowned. "I'm sure the Sannin, Tsunade, would have been able to do something for him. She could treat anything, but she hasn't been seen in the village in almost 20 years."

Gai drooped, his arms hanging low near the floor. A voice sounded from behind him. "So how's he doing?"

The Green Beast turned. Kurenai nodded in greeting. Sarutobi Asuma stood not far behind.

The medic shook her head. "He's in an indefinite coma, and only the Sannin, Tsunade, might be able to treat him."

Asuma curled his lips. "Just what the hell did that damned Uchiha do to him?"

The medic bowed her head. "We have absolutely no idea."

"At least they didn't get what they came for." Asuma sighed.

The medic, curious, gave the Jounin a searching look. "And what _did_ they come here for?"

Asuma gave Kurenai a look. She nodded.

"They asked for Uzumaki Naruto.. they came to take the Nine-tails."

-Intermission-

Uchiha Sasuke lay impatiently on his hospital bed as they ran last minute checks on his body. _I need to go. I need to train._

The medic-woman who had been caring for him ran a glowing green hand from his navel to his chest and then back.

Sasuke frowned. "Will you hurry the hell up?"

The woman smiled. "If you're going to be rude, then I'm going to make you stay an extra 30 minutes for a full body scan and a cavity check."

Sasuke's eyes widened. "You can't do that."

The woman gleamed. "I am authorized to call for such a procedure."

"Tch!" the Uchiha scowled but said no more.

After several more moments, the woman let up and nodded. "You're perfectly healthy."

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"The bones we mended are stronger than before, but the ligaments are still pretty tender. Try not to do anything stressful. Rest up. Eat well. I hope I never see you in here again."

"So basically stay healthy and stay out of trouble. Got it." Sasuke nodded as he pulled on his shirt.

"Yup!" The medic grinned cheerfully.

Sasuke gave a perfunctory bow. "Thank you for taking care of me."

The woman gave a similar bow, and Sasuke left the room.

The medic sighed. The more time they spent out on the fields, the higher their chances of dying. She could never understand why they wanted to leave so impatiently. At least the hospital was safe.

* * *

As Sasuke made his way out of the hospital, he saw a flash of green and silver. Maito Gai rushed into the hospital carrying none other than his Jounin-sensei, Hatake Kakashi.

The Uchiha gaped in surprise. _Kakashi-sensei.. how?!_

Slowly, he followed. _I need to know what's going on_.

He kept his distance as they carted the masked Jounin into the emergency room. The man in the ugly green suit paced rapidly before a medic finally came out.

Sasuke winced. Maito Gai was even louder than Naruto.

On the other side of the hall, Sasuke recognized the two other Jounin who came in: Sarutobi Asuma, son of the Third Hokage and Yuuhi Kurenai, Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress, leaders of Genin-teams ten and eight respectively.

Their voice carried down the hall.

' _He's in an indefinite coma and only the Sannin, Tsunade, might be able treat him'_

' _Just what the hell did that damned Uchiha do to him?'_

Sasuke's mind went off. _Itachi! He was here!_

' _Just what_ did _they come here for?"_

…

' _They asked for Uzumaki Naruto.. they came to take the Nine-tails_.'

Wordlessly, Sasuke slinked off. He already knew where Naruto was going. Kakashi had told him when he asked two days ago. Uzumaki Naruto, son of the Fourth Hokage, was travelling with his long-lost father and the Sannin, Jiraiya, to Showa Town to retrieve the other Sannin, Senju Tsunade, for the Hokage position. If he found his orange-friend, chances are, he'd find his brother too.

Itachi had beaten Kakashi, but the Jounin didn't have the full Sharingan like he did. Sasuke smirked grimly. _He's not an Uchiha. Only an imitation. Plus, I've already mastered his signature move, the Chidori. I can win._

The Uchiha grit his teeth as he sped through the streets. _Mother. Father. Just you wait. Your son is about to avenge your deaths._

* * *

-A/N-

Hello! So nice of you to join me here. I'm just gonna get warm and toasty wrapped in my blankets. Hope you don't mind.


	16. (2) Whereabouts

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have a pair of red sweatpants that I wore in middle school. I still wear them, but they're starting to wear down. I put patches on them, but they keep coming off. I might have to say goodbye to my favorite pair of pants. TAT

* * *

-Jiraiya's Storytime-

Jiraiya opened his eyes at four in the morning, as usual. He sat up quickly and stretched. Rolling up his futon, he walked into the common room to gaze out into the streets. The Viewing Room was named for the glass walls that surrounded it on all sides. The streets could literally be seen from the fourth floor hallway. Even the floors and ceilings were transparent.

Jiraiya looked up and sighed. The room above them had been covered wall to wall with extensive straw mats. _Used to be able to get quite a nice view from down here_.

He had lived here during his tenure as an employee of the hotel, having helped design and build the room himself. One day, a couple had rented the room above and had thought the glass room below to be quite creative. They'd even waved down at him in greeting. They were quite a nice couple.

And then, as the night progressed, they'd forgotten all about the glass room below and the man who lived in it. He'd made good progress on his research that night. In fact, he'd been so dedicated to his research that he'd jumped up onto the ceiling and stuck his face on its glass surface to better examine his research material. He was caught soon after. Having a face staring from the bedroom floor was not a very pleasant experience at all, and the couple had angrily gone to management to complain, securing several apologies and another room free of charge.

He was also given an ultimatum. Ogino Yuuko refused to feed the resident Sage until he swore off his filthy habits. He'd worked three days and nights without food. By the fourth day, he was slowing down considerably, giving less than half the amount of labor he'd normally been able to provide. Chihiro had taken pity on him and begged her mother to feed him. As he was working on building the tenth floor that day, Yuuko went to visit him with a plate of steaming porridge topped with eggs, a cut of fish and soft shoots of bamboo. He'd went up to her with his eyes glued to the food, resisting the urge to simply snatch them from her hands, and greeted her as cordially as he could.

Taking one look at his sallow face, the Hotel manager asked him once more if he'd swear off his habits. He'd shaken his head weakly, and Ogino Yuuko relented with a sigh. He'd promised to keep his eyes off the customers, and was promptly handed the bowl.

Jiraiya smiled in reminiscence. _It was totally worth it_.

-Intermission-

Five in the morning, the Sage of Toads barged into the room in which his students slept. "Rise and shine sleepyheads!"

The Fourth sat up and poked at his son who refused to be woken. "Naruto. Time to get up."

Naruto rolled away off his futon and curled tight.

Minato looked to his mentor and shrugged.

Jiraiya nodded. "I'll be waiting outside." And promptly left.

Making his way to his son on his knees, the Fourth grabbed and shook him by the shoulder. "Naruto. We need to get ready to leave."

Naruto pulled his cover over his head. "Dunwanna."

Minato smiled and clawed his son in the belly.

Naruto jolted and laughed. "No-ahahaha-stop-ahaha-I'm-up-I'm-up!"

Minato stood up and made his way to the door. "Get dressed. We'll be waiting outside."

Naruto pouted as the door closed, muttering under his breath. "What the hell was that? He was supposed to wake me up nice and gentle and slow." He yawned, rubbing the remnants of sleep out of his eyes and shambled out of the room.

The three went through the same morning routine as they did the previous day before packing up.

They headed down at 7:12 in the morning. The woman at the desk smiled. "Jiraiya-san. Good morning. It's good to see you again."

The Sage nodded. "Good morning! It's good to see you too, Yuuko!"

"Come back any time!" She cheered.

"Yup." Jiraiya began strolling out.

As he walked past the woman at the desk, Naruto stared. "Nee-chan.. how'd you get so old?"

Minato closed his eyes. _He didn't just ask her that._

"You've got the wrong person." The woman smiled sweetly. "I'm Chihiro's mother."

"Oh." Naruto backed away. He could hear the distaste in her voice, however much the woman tried to sugarcoat it. "Well.. bye then."

He quickly ducked out the door.

Minato, being the last to leave, bowed. "Thank you for the accommodations you've made for us."

The woman shook her head. "No problem at all. We're honored to house such a distinguished guest. You're welcome to come back any time. Oh, I almost forgot!"

She reached under the desk and pulled out a box. "This is for you!"

Minato walked up and allowed the woman to drop the box in his hands. "What is it?"

"It's for the road, courtesy of the establishment." Yuuko smiled. "My daughter made it herself."

He slid the cover open to the sight of several balls of rice. "You're too kind."

The woman shook her head. "Not at all. It's for old time's sake. That Jiraiya hasn't eaten our cooking in almost a year! Remind him to come back more often!"

"I will. Thank you." Minato nodded and swiftly walked out

"Yo!" Jiraiya smiled in greeting. "Flirting with the lady?"

Minato rolled his eyes. "Let's just go."

Naruto jumped up. "Where are we going?"

The Fourth looked down at his son. "Through the forest straight North-north-west. We won't be seeing any towns or villages for at least two days. Are you ready?"

Naruto nodded. "Definitely."

"Well then let's go."

-Intermission-

*Ding!* The timer clicked. "Fish is ready!"

Yuuko waltzed over to the pan and propped the fish onto a plate.

She checked the pot next to it, talking to herself all the while. "Not ready yet. shouldn't be too long." She washed her hands quickly at the sink and sat on the kitchen stool, turning her mind elsewhere.

Naturally, her thoughts fell to her daughter. Ogino Yuuko was only Hotel Manager by name. Her daughter was the one who practically ran the place from inventory to funds to resource and labor management.

Truly, she was proud of her daughter.

Yuuko sighed. _Now to do something about her nonexistent love life_.

A sudden clatter pulled her out of her thoughts. The soup had boiled over and the cover had been pushed off the pot by the mounting heat and pressure.

"Whoops!" Yuuko leapt off the stool. "Soup's done!"

-Intermission-

Chihiro passed out the plates and utensils while her mother made the food. A large man lumbered in just as she finished.

"Hey father."

Ogini Akio yawned. "Hey, Chihiro. Your mother making lunch?"  
Chihiro nodded. "She should be done right about now."  
A voice suddenly floated down into the room. ' _Honey! Come help carry the food to the table!'_

Akio scratched his belly and mumbled under his breath. "How did she know I was here… COMING SWEETHEART!"

He promptly walked off.

-Intermission-

"Would you like some more soup, father?"

Ogino Akio laid back and put a hand to his stomach and sighed happily. "Nope. I'm stuffed."

"What about you, mother?"

The woman smiled. "That's okay, Chihiro, I can help myself."

They sat silently for a few moments.

"Mom?"

"Yes dear?"

"What if I were-" Chihiro hesitated, peaking her father's interest.

The man sat up and leaned forward. "Do continue."

Yuuko backhanded his guts. "Stop it! You're making her nervous."

His belly jiggled. "That's what Dads are supposed to do!"

Chihiro's face fell. "Never mind."

"Oh no-no. Ignore your father. He's just messing with you. You haven't killed anyone have you?"  
Chihiro shook her head, and her mother smiled. "Then there's nothing to be afraid of."

"That's right!" Her father stood up with a grin. "We're your parents! You can tell us anything!"

They waited expectantly.

"What if I told you I were in love?"

"Ohhh!" Her father sat down with a sigh of relief. "I thought you were going to tell us that you were a le- OW! what was that for?! Stop it!"

"You don't get to talk." Yuuko pinched him again, ignoring his complaints. She gave her daughter a smile. "Well dear, I'd tell you that it was about time."

The girl gave her a questioning look. Yuuko sighed. "You know your mother had plenty of suitors by the time she was your age before she found your father.. but look at you! Working at the Hotel all day. I was starting to get worried! You need to go out, find someone to share your life with!"

She paused.

"So who's the lucky boy? Is it Haku?"

Her daughter looked down and shook her head.

Yuuko bit her lips impatiently. "Well whoever it is, it better be someone worthy of our amazing daughter."

"Yeah! Someone like me!" Her husband burst out, unable to keep silent any longer.

"I'd roll over and die before I let my daughter go out with someone like you." Yuuko poked the man in his belly. "You let your daughter work herself to death while you sit on your fat ass all day!"

Akio scoffed. "I do _not_!"

"Yes you do!" Yuuko continued to prod her lover's belly. "You used to be quite handsome too."  
Her husband smiled broadly. "What are you talking about?! I'm gorgeous!"

Chihiro silently stacked the plates and carried them to the kitchen.

"And I'm the Hokage." Yuuko rolled her eyes. "Look at how fat you've gotten!"

Akio patted his guts. "I eat like a man!"

"You certainly sit around like one! You can't expect your daughter to do everything around here. How is she ever going to be able to find someone stuck in this place all day?! Right, Chihiro?"

She turned to her daughter, but Chihiro was already gone.

"Look." Akio grinned. "You scared her off with your nagging."

His wife jabbed a finger in his chest. "Don't even get me started. Now go to your room and get dressed. You have a meeting with the suppliers this afternoon."

"I know I know. Geez. I'm going." He turned away, muttering under his breath. "Pushy woman.."

A sweet voice rang out from behind him. "What did you say?"

He rolled his eyes. "I said that you were a pushy woman!"

"You're goddamned right I am!"

-Intermission-

A couple hours after the meal, Chihiro stood behind her desk at the lobby. Her thoughts cycling through on repeat.

 _Namikaze Minato._ The charismatic Fourth Hokage of Konoha. A major figure in the Third Shinobi War. Died twelve and a half years ago after stopping the Nine-tails from destroying the capital.

Chihiro remembered that night very well. Most everyone did. There was a sort of pressure in the air, and the town had undergone a series of small earthquakes.

He had a wife too. She couldn't remember her name.. _and a son_.

Chihiro flipped through the records book listlessly. _I don't stand a chance_.

She snapped the book shut at the sound of ringing bells.

She smiled. "Hi! Welcome to the Inazaku Hotel!"

Chihiro felt an instinctive jolt of fear as the two men approached her. One of them was even taller than her father and had unusual blue skin. The eyes of the other glowed a demonic red.

"Can I help you?"  
The red-eyed demon nodded. "Has the Fourth Hokage been here?"

Chihiro frowned. That was supposed to be a secret. "I'm sorry sir. I'm afraid I can't help you." She stared, mesmerized, into those glowing eyes.

Itachi bore his eyes into her brown ones. _She's lying._ And tore her mind apart.

"Where did they go?"

The lights faded from the girl's eyes and she smiled into the air. "Jiraiya-san said they were going to Otafuku. He said that it'd be two days before they got there."

Kisame grinned. "Alright let's go." The two turned brusquely and walked off.

Chihiro collapsed, her mind falling into pieces as she succumbed to darkness.


	17. (2) Contemplation

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I got an Android a couple weeks ago. It has apps and touch screen features and everything. It makes me happy.

* * *

After having travelled for four hours, Jiraiya called a stop. It was time for a midday meal.

They quickly devoured the box of onigiri they'd gotten for lunch.

"Jiraiya-sensei."

The Sage turned his head, his mouth full of rice. "Hmm?"

"What exactly is your connection with that hotel?"

"Oh." Jiraiya swallowed the rice. "I used to work for them."

"What?! Really?!" Naruto jumped up, spewing rice into the air. A few landed in the Sannin's face.

Jiraiya wiped his face slowly. "Yes. Really."

"What was it like?" Naruto gave a mischievous grin. "I bet you perved on that Nee-chan who worked behind the desk yesterday."

The Toad Sage scoffed. "I did no such thing.. mostly. She's the manager's daughter. Now _that_ woman would have destroyed me."

Minato tilted his head. "That girl was the manager's daughter?"

"Mhm. Her name's Chihiro." Jiraiya took another bite of his onigiri. "And the woman you saw this morning is the manager herself. Her name's Yuuko. I didn't tell you?"

Minato shook his head.

The Sage grinned. "Fearsome woman isn't she?"

"Yeah." Naruto nodded vehemently. "She sounded super angry even though she didn't. I thought she was gonna cook me for lunch or something."

Minato shrugged as he chewed his own mouthful of rice. "I thought she was nice."

-Intermission-

They'd stopped moving at dusk. The sun was about to set, and they needed to set up a perimeter before night fell and it became too dark to see. They finished the last of the onigiri and downed the rest of the water that they'd gotten from a nearby stream before finally getting ready for sleep.

"I don't wanna sleep." Naruto stalked around glumly. "I wanna make a campfire."

They'd travelled far that day. They were over half of the way out of the forest.. Under his father's guidance Naruto was improving his stamina and control immensely.

 _We might even reach Otafuku by dusk tomorrow._ Jiraiya mused.

None of them were really tired so they'd gathered rocks, sticks and logs and set up a fire.

Naruto stared, fascinated, into the flames. His father sat to his right with a contemplative look on his face.

Jiraiya sat across from them, poking the fire with a stick before declaring loudly: "Let's tell stories. I'll go first."

Naruto sat up attentively and the Fourth turned his gaze to the white-haired Sannin.

Jiraiya, being a natural storyteller, launched into a gallivanting tale about a princess from the land of ice. By the end of the story, Naruto was in tears. "S-she just _died?!_ " His voice filled with wonder and sorrow.

Jiraiya nodded. "There was nothing she could have done. The poison had reached an advanced stage. At least her nation was saved. She did a great thing for her people."

The Toad Sage looked pointedly at his older student. Minato gazed into the fire and said nothing.  
Naruto sniffed and nodded. "Yeah. She did."

With a satisfied nod, Jiraiya threw his stick into the fire. "Naruto. Your turn."

Naruto grinned. "Well! This happened to me when I was a kid."

Jiraiya smirked. "You're still a kid."  
"No I'm not!" Naruto pouted. "Anyway, you know how like, the villagers used to treat me like trash right?"

Minato sat up. His son had his full attention. Happy at having caught his father's interests, Naruto continued. "Well, most of the village actually just ignored me. I mean like _really_ ignored me like I wasn't there. So I got some ropes and pulley and I climbed up to the Hokage monument. _No one noticed me_ which for once was great because I also brought ten buckets of paint."  
Naruto sat back as he rummaged through his memories. "I loved that day. I was there all the way into the afternoon before they finally caught me. I painted the first Hokage with funny eyes and a fat nose, and I made the second Hokage look really old - or at least I tried to - I gave old-man Sarutobi whiskers and made him look like a monkey."

He paused. Minato smiled. "And what did you do to the Fourth Hokage?"

"I was making you look like a girl." Naruto smiled sheepishly. Jiraiya sniggered silently as he picked up another stick to prod the fire with. "But I only got the lipsticks on before they found out what was going on."

His father nodded. "What'd they do to you?"  
Naruto pouted. "The old man made me clean it all up which was really a shame. They should've left it up for at least a week. But the best part of it was that everyone knew that I was the boy who painted the Hokage monument." He pointed at himself proudly. "They even wrote an article about it."

 _Our son is so adorable_. Minato grinned before turning a pensive gaze into the fire. "And what do you think about the villagers?"

"Well.." Naruto followed his father's gaze and turned to the fire, rubbing his arm thoughtfully. "Some of them are really mean and some of them are scared because of the Nine-tails, but some of them are really nice too. Like Iruka-sensei would buy me ramen, and old man Teuchi and Ayame-nee always treated me nicely. They make really great ramen too. Old man Sarutobi was also really nice."

Naruto frowned, muttering quietly. "Why did he have to die?"

Minato put a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "Everyone dies. He died protecting what he believed was important to him. That counts for something.." He looked across at the Toad Sage. "..doesn't it?"

"I guess." Naruto said quietly.

Jiraiya threw another log into the fire. "Yo! Getting a bit gloomy here! Minato, why don't you tell the next story?"

Minato nodded. "Naruto. What do you know about your mother?"

"Ummmm.." Naruto furrowed his brows in concentration. "She was married to you?"

Minato laughed. "Yes. She was, but she was more than just married to me."

Naruto sat up. "What was she like?"  
"Hold on, let me tell the story."

-Intermission-

It was almost midnight. They'd turned in several hours ago after a few more rounds of stories.

Jiraiya laid on the ground, staring up over the forest trees into the starry night sky. Nearby, his students breathed softly as they slept in the comfort of the sweet, evening air.

The gentle sound of cicadas rustled out of the trees and brushes, filling the darkness with its cry.

The forest life thrived happy and untouched, completely unaffected by the conflict that happened around it at a regular basis. These creatures of the forest had done what their human counterparts could not do. They'd achieved peace.

Unlike cicadas, who filled the night air with soft music, Shinobi spent their nights leaving behind nothing but death, which in turn fed the fires of fear, vengeance and despair in a never-ending cycle of hatred.

The death of thousands of Konoha citizens at the hands of the Nine-tails twelve years ago lit all these emotions in one massive blaze. Where once Jinchuuriki were accepted as part of human society, as was with the case of Uzumaki Kushina after years of servitude to the village, there was only hatred. More than hatred, it was the fear of the incomprehensible power that had been unleashed in the village that night. It was the despair at the feeling of the inevitable doom as they cowered from a monster terrible beyond imagining. And then, when the monster had been subdued, the mounting fear and despair, refusing to simply vanish, developed into a new, ugly desire: the desire for vengeance.

Countless people died that night. Homes were destroyed. Friends were lost. Family members were sent to early graves and lovers were torn apart. Despair gave way to anger. They'd lost so much. Someone.. something had to pay. They'd turn their hatred toward the person in which the Nine-tails resided. They directed all their hate towards a child. If the boy suffered, they thought maliciously, the Nine-tails suffered with him. Still, the fact that the object of their torment was only a child was not lost on them. Some chose simply to ignore him. Others, the ones blinded by their desire for vengeance, went so far as to convince themselves that the boy _was_ the Nine-tails to ease their own conscience.

Gone was the acceptance that Namikaze Minato had pioneered for his wife, the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tails during his tenure as Fourth Hokage of Konoha. Hatred, despair, fear, and vengeance were ugly, but also incredibly strong. So strong, in fact, that the people had allowed it to cloud their understanding of the pain and sorrow that they were causing.

Only a sane few were able to see Naruto for who he was: just another human boy. It was people like Umino Iruka who, despite having lost both parents to the Nine-tails, were eventually able to look past their own pain and hatred to give the boy what he deserved. Fair treatment.

Iruka's attitude caused people to distance themselves from him, as they did with those who associated kindly with the 'demon fox'. Despite the pressure, the man had refused to allow the opinions of his peers to sway him from what he saw as right, and he'd nearly died for it.

It seemed almost impossible to believe that Naruto's 'Iruka-sensei' had once been one of the people who had pelted the boy with rocks, calling him names and threatening his life. Every single person in Konoha who contributed to that ugly thing that was Naruto's childhood had the potential to see the truth. Each and every single one of them could be swayed to understand.

And Minato, former Fourth Hokage and hero of Konoha, had threatened to simply kill them.

Jiraiya sighed. Minato was allowing himself to be consumed by the same hatred and the same desire for vengeance that the villagers had felt toward the Nine-tails. Every single one of them were human beings with people that loved them and people they loved. Every single one of them an Umino Iruka waiting to happen. The Fourth's hatred was clouding a fact that he knew to be true: that they were just like him - human beings. The civilian father loved his child as much as the Fourth loved his. They were the same.

If he killed the father, the child would be the one to bear the pain. The same went for the civilian's wife, family and friends. If, by some impossible chance of fate, they somehow avenged the man, then the pain would fall to Naruto. God forbid the boy turn to vengeance.

 _What irony._ The Toad Sage smirked morbidly and raised his hand up into the air as if to reach for the stars. Even now, under those very stars, Iwa assassins were making their way toward the borders of the Fire Nation, their sole purpose to put an end to the life of the man who'd killed so many of their compatriots during the Third Shinobi War.

Understanding, forgiveness.. it all seemed like an impossible dream. _When will the cycle ever end?_

* * *

-A/N-

Jiraiya is wonkers in the brain. I have a nice, black jacket that is super duper light and super duper comfy. It keeps me warm in the cold weather.


	18. (2) Prank

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I have a lot of T-shirts. They've been building up since middle school. I even inherited some from my younger brother. Yes. You read that correctly.

* * *

"This sucks." Kisame sat on a rock as he contemplated his situation. "There's no way in hell we're going to beat both the Yellow Flash _and_ one of the Sannin."

"I thought you liked fighting strong opponents." Itachi stopped and stared placidly at his partner.

The shark-man rolled his head up to the sky. "He killed a thousand Iwa-nin during the war. In a single day. By himself. Alone."

"All strong opponents have weaknesses." Itachi noted calmly.

"Yeah. The Sharingan." Kisame smirked. "Use the Sharingan: steal every jutsu and solve every problem. Knock out any opponent in three seconds? Look them in the eyes. Too easy." The shark-man swung his sword half-heartedly through the air. "Where the hell did your crow go anyway?"

"The Fourth put a seal on it." Itachi replied.

 _Why didn't he tell me earlier?_ Kisame scowled. "So what? You can't summon that thing anymore?"  
"No." Itachi looked on with half-lidded eyes. "It's most likely the Flying Thunder God, his signature seal."

"Flying Thunder God, " The shark-man scoffed impatiently. "What the hell does that even mean? I wasn't born in Konoha like you."

Itachi continued staring down at his partner. Kisame's eyes remained in the clouds. "I'll tell you later tonight. We need to move."

The shark-man sighed and stood up. "You enjoy keeping me stupid don't you?"  
"No." The Uchiha's voice betrayed no emotion. "I do not."

 _Which implies that you_ are _keeping me stupid_. Kisame frowned. "I can't even tell if you're being sarcastic or not."

-Intermission-

"Dad wake up." Naruto poked his father in the stomach.

Ignoring the urge to laugh, Minato rolled over away from his son and pretended to still be asleep.

 _Now's my chance to get him back._ Naruto grinned and moved his hands to his father's sides. Minato smiled, refusing to react to his son's touch. Slowly, with great control, he turned, muttering in a sleepy voice. "You know I'm not ticklish right?"

Naruto stopped. "Seriously?! That's not fair!"

"Yup." The Fourth nodded. "You're going to have to find some other way to wake me up in the morning _besides_ tickling."

Naruto pouted and sat thoughtfully. "There's gotta be something.."

 _It worked!_ Minato grinned. He stood up. "It's still early. Look, Jiraiya-sensei isn't even awake yet."

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts. "That's why I'm waking you up. We just _gotta_ prank him."

The Fourth examined his mentor's sleeping form. "What do you have in mind?"

Naruto beamed. "Well, ero-sennin's a huge perv. I bet we could knock him out with a good Sexy clone."

Minato smiled. "Haven't you done that one already?"  
Naruto nodded. "Works all the time."

"I'm not exactly sure I'm comfortable with him looking at you that way."

"Why? They're just Shadow Clones." Naruto pouted.

"Even if they're Shadow Clones." Minato sighed. "You _do_ know that everything your Shadow Clones see and do become part of your memories when they disperse right?"

"Really?! They do?!" He paused in thought. "Oh yeah, they do!

 _Are you serious?!_ Minato frowned inwardly. "Listen, I've got a better idea."

Naruto pouted up at his father. "I still think the mass Shadow Clone Sexy Jutsu would've been a good idea."

 _He's so cute!_ Minato smiled softly at his son's displeasure. "How good's your Henge?"

"I'm super good at it." Naruto beamed proudly.

Minato nodded. "I want you to make eight clones of Iwa-nin."

Naruto complied instantly.

Minato made two copies of himself. One he morphed into an Iwa-nin. He Henge'd a kunai into the other clone's head. "You do something similar." He whispered.

Naruto grinned and pinned a clone into the tree with a kunai in the hand, head and heart.

 _Oh this was going to be fun._

Minato began making his way to Jiraiya's still sleeping form.

"Dad! What are you doing?! Naruto whispered loudly.

Minato shook his head and put a finger to his lips. Naruto nodded. "Right."

Turning back to his somehow-still-asleep mentor, the Fourth laid his palm softly onto the man's chest. The arrays of a seal flowed out through his palm. He stood up a second later, giving a satisfied nod at his handiwork before heading back to his son. "I've got another Flying Thunder God marker in Konoha, right above my bed."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Then that means-"  
"Yup!" Minato smiled. He put a hand to his son's shoulder and they vanished, leaving the Sage of Toads lying alone in the middle of a vast forest.

-Intermission-

Jiraiya woke to the sound of loud chattering. "We finally got him. The bastard. Now they can finally rest in peace."

The Sage sat up to his worst nightmare. Minato lay crumpled against a tree, a kunai in his head. And _Naruto_.

Jiraiya grit his teeth as the one of the killers turned around. "Oh. There's another one. How the hell did you miss him?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry boss."

The 'boss' grinned. "Doesn't matter. We'll gut him too. If we can kill the Yellow Flash, we can kill anyone."

The others cheered and raced toward the angry Sage.

Jiraiya palmed one in the head just as it reached him. It disappeared in a puff of smoke. _What.. a clone?_

Two more came after him. One with a flying kick and another with a diving tackle. With no time to think about what just happened, Jiraiya jumped up, dodging the tackle and deflected the kick with his forearm, jamming his fist into the Iwa-nin's face as the man slid forward from the momentum.

Falling back to the ground, he crushed into the back of the dive-tackler. Both disappeared in a puff of smoke. _What the hell?!_

-In Minato's Apartment-

"Awe man, he beat all my clones." Naruto pouted in distaste.

Minato smiled. "'Sannin' isn't just a name you know. He's one of Konoha's strongest Shinobi."

Naruto sat thoughtfully for a few moments. "Orochimaru was a Sannin too right?"

Minato nodded.

"And that old lady Tsunade that we're looking for is a Sannin too right?"  
Minato grinned. "She's also incredibly violent. If you call her old lady, she'd probably pummel you into the ground."

"Wow." Naruto's voice filled with wonder. "I think I just got a little bit more respect for that Ero-sennnin."

-Forest-

"There's no way in hell you managed to sneak past our wards and beat my students. Who the hell are you?"

The 'boss' clone grinned manically. "Jiraiya of the Sannin. I am your doom." He flashed forward with incredible speed.

 _This one's better than the rest of them_. Jiraiya smiled grimly and flashed a palm into the air. The 'boss' raised a forearm, changing the trajectory of the Sage's blow. With one of the Sage's arms out of the way he lashed forward with the same arm that he'd used for the deflecting blow. As the Sage reflexively raised his own forearm to block it, the 'boss' thundered a lightning-quick fist toward the man's guts.

With quick reflexes, Jiraiya back-stepped, avoiding the fist. He readied a palm, and just as his left leg flashed forward to step back in, he felt something hit his guts. _Gama-kenpo?!_

The Sage coughed up some blood. _That blow was meant to kill_.

The Iwa-nin smiled. "Jiraiya-sensei. Good to see that I'm still a few steps ahead of you in Taijutsu."

"Minato!" Jiraiya frowned, the blood slipping down his chin. "This wasn't funny. This wasn't funny at all."

The Iwa-nin shrugged. "I enjoyed it. We haven't sparred in.. fifteen years?"

"Yes but _that_." The Toad Sage rolled his eyes and motioned toward the fake bodies. The corpses stood up with matching grins.

"Wouldn't be a prank otherwise!" Naruto grinned. Then, the two 'corpses' disappeared in a puff of smoke

"Those were clones too?" Jiraiya furrowed his brows. "Where the hell is Naruto?"

The Iwa-nin smiled. "We're all clones. Naruto and I are in my apartment bedroom.. bye." With a puff of smoke, the clone disappeared.

 _I can't believe I lost to his clone._

Moments later, the Yellow Flash appeared to his mentor's left side with his son in tow. "Good morning! Jiraiya-sensei!"

Naruto was jumping excitedly. "Best. Prank. Ever!"  
"You guys.." Jiraiya sighed in defeat. He had a sudden thought. "Don't tell me you drew a Flying Thunder God on me."

Minato beamed.

"Take it off."

"I'll think about it."

The Sage of Toads rolled his eyes. "This seal is the ultimate invasion of privacy. Now remove it or I'm taking your son to the red-lights district behind your back."  
Naruto tilted his head. "Hey Dad.. what's the red-lights district?"

"Stay out of the red-lights district." Minato shook his head as he placed a light touch on his mentor's chest. A sealing array flared sky-blue before receding into his palm. He smiled. "If my son becomes like you I'm going to murder you in your sleep."

Jiraiya scoffed. "If your son becomes a pervert, I'll swear off women for the rest of my life."

Naruto grinned. "I'd like to see you do that."

"Naruto." Minato turned sharply.

"Heheh. Just kidding Dad. Just kidding."

-Intermission-

Unlike Naruto's company, who travelled a hundred and fifty kilometers West before heading North, Sasuke went straight Northwest toward Showa Town. To no surprise, even though he started two days late, he got there at about the same time that they did.

"Hey boy! We've got a place here for you. Why don't you come here and join us?" He turned his eyes and the women squealed.

"I'm thirteen."

"That doesn't matter. You're cute. We'll take you free of charge." The women nodded.

Sasuke smirked. "And I'll report you for child molestation."

"Tch!" The lead woman spat. "Kid doesn't know what he's missing." But the Uchiha was already gone.

 _They're looking for Tsunade, where the hell is she?_ He turned to one of the street vendors. "Hey, where can I find Senju Tsunade?"  
The man's eyes widened. " _That_ woman?! If she's here, she's either gambling or drinking. Try one of the bars or gambling arenas."

Without a word of thanks, the boy ran off. The vendor rolled his eyes. _Young people these days._

To Sasuke's surprise, Tsunade turned out in the first bar he walked into. Naruto was already there. It was hard to miss them.

' _Who says I can't be Hokage? BAA-CHAN!"_

' _Call me that one more time you little shit and I'll make you eat my fists. Literally.'_

' _I'll make you eat_ my _fists if you don't come back to be Hokage, you creepy old hag!'_

The sound of a table being smashed into pieces exploded into the room. The bartender frowned but said nothing. One does not simply mess with Senju Tsunade when she was mad.

' _Tell you what. How about a bet? If you can make me use more than just this finger'_ \- The woman held out a pinky - ' _then I'll think about going back with you.'_

Naruto grinned. ' _Too easy! It's a deal!'_

' _BUT! If you lose, you're leaving and you're not coming back.'_

To his side, the Fourth Hokage frowned. ' _Naruto. She's a Sannin, remember?'_

Naruto shook his head. ' _I swear I won't lose. I never go back on my words.'_

Tsunade smiled. Hokage be damned she _liked_ this kid. He reminded her of her kid brother. A part of her was already hoping she'd lose this bet. ' _Alright kid, meet me outside. I'm going to show you what it means to fight a Sannin._ '

Naruto turned, his eyes widened in surprise. "Sasuke?! What the hell are _you_ doing here?!"

"My brother, Uchiha Itachi.." The Uchiha frowned. "He's coming after you. I know he's coming, and I'm staying with you."

Jiraiya sported a matching frown. "Kid. This revenge business isn't going to do you any good."

Sasuke grit his teeth in anger. "He _murdered_ my clan! He killed my mother and father! He _deserves_ to die and I'm going to be the one to do it!"

Tsunade ignored their discourse and stomped towards the bar entrance impatiently. "Screw this angsty kid. Uzumaki Naruto, are you coming or not?"

Naruto bit his lips. Jiraiya put a hand to his shoulder and nodded. "Go. I'll deal with your friend."

Naruto promptly walked out of the bar. Minato turned to his mentor. "I'm going with him. I have to make sure she doesn't kill him."

Jiraiya nodded. "Do what you must." And his student was gone.

Sasuke glared at the man who dared to downput his vengeance. "It doesn't matter what you say. I'm going to kill my brother and avenge my family."

The Sannin smirked. "You can't beat him."

"My Sharingan have fully matured and I know Kakashi's Chidori."

Jiraiya shook his head. "You can't beat him."

Sasuke sneered. "You're just trying to get me to not fight him."

The Sage sighed. "What are you going to do after you kill him? What would you have accomplished?"  
"I'll have killed the man who slaughtered my clan and murdered my mother and my father."

"Yes I know, but what does that accomplish? Even if you succeed, your clan isn't going to come back to life. You'll have achieved nothing of meaning."

"We punish criminals for murder don't we? How's this any different?" The Uchiha glared stubbornly. "Killing him means _everything_." The Uchiha turned and walked out of the bar. He wasn't going to waste time arguing with an old man about right and wrong.

Jiraiya sighed. Itachi had sacrificed so much. _Even so, I don't think setting your brother to hatred and vengeance was the right choice. He deserves to know._

Outside, Naruto lay bruised in a crumpled heap. Constant repetition of 'old lady' and 'old hag' had finally tilted the female Sannin's patience. With her entire fist, she sent Naruto flying into a wall, promptly losing the bet.

-Intermission-

Kisame smirked. "Look it's your brother."

"I know."

"And they have another Sannin with them too."

"I know." Itachi deadpanned.

"Guess we're calling this off then?"

"We are." The Uchiha stood up. "Let's go back. The Leader needs to hear about this."

The shark-man frowned. "And we didn't even get to do any real fighting. This sucks. What a waste of time."

The Uchiha said nothing. _No. It wasn't_.

They turned to leave and were stopped by a sudden flash of light. Kisame felt something touch his back. With lightning quick reflexes, he spun and cleaved the air, Samehada already in his hands. _Huh?_ He turned back around to see Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage himself, standing before them.

Minato smirked. "You forget that I'm a sensor-nin, Hoshigaki Kisame."

 _The Fourth is a sensor-nin?_ Itachi frowned inwardly. That wasn't something most people knew about.

"Oohhh, the Yellow Flash. You certainly live up to your name." Kisame grinned, pointing his sword forward. "Let's see if you're as strong as they say."

* * *

-A/N-

Remember how I threatened the Kittens if you didn't rate or review?

Yeah.

The threat's still on.

Do it.

I use a wireless mouse. Stupid in hindsight since it drains batteries. Batteries are expensive. It makes me cry (figuratively).


	19. (2) Revelation

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I can probably kick your butt. Probably.

* * *

They were being followed. He _knew_ they were being followed. There was no way they'd just leave them alone. He'd left several seals behind him, and had felt the monstrous presence of the Mist-nin and his partner flit past his wards several times. Even so, contrary to what he'd told Jiraiya, he wasn't actually going to confront them alone. He was absolutely certain that he could easily subdue the Mist-swordsman, monstrous strength and Chakra or not. He already had a rough idea of what the 'Tailless Bijuu' could do. Compared to the Nine-tails, Hoshigaki Kisame was relatively weak.

No, he was not worried about the Mist-swordsman. It was the man's partner that stopped him. In hindsight, even though he didn't recognize the man, he should've recognized the summon. From hawks to crows, the Uchiha held the majority of the bird summons in the Shinobi world. He'd stopped when he'd first figured it out the morning they left the Inazaku Hotel. The identity of the crow's summoner couldn't be anyone but Uchiha Itachi. He'd silently berated himself for his mental misstep. _Stupid! How could you have missed it! It was so obvious!_

The man who'd slaughtered the entire clan of Sharingan users. Such a man was not someone to be easily crossed. It was then that Minato made his decision. He would confront them when the other Sannin was found and they had superior firepower. The odds of two Sannin and a former Kage losing to anyone were pretty damned low.

He'd sensed them standing high up on the rooftop of a nearby building as Naruto charged recklessly at Tsunade. He'd also seen them turn to leave. _There's no way I'm letting that happen._

"Tsunade-sama." He turned to the Slug Sage who narrowed her eyes at him as he pointed high into the air. "We have guests up there."

With a nod, the woman re-entered the bar to retrieve the other Sannin as Minato tossed a Hiraishin kunai up to where he knew the Akatsuki members were standing.

When the kunai neared the Chakra-signal of the Mist-Swordsman, the Fourth activated the seal on the projectile and appeared with his hand already touching Kisame's back. The arrays of a Flying Thunder God seal appeared on the shark-man's skin. Before the Swordsman could retaliate, he activated the freshly made seal and reappeared two meters away from his target.

All this happened in less than a second.

Itachi stared impassively. His Sharingan eyes missed nothing. The Fourth had just set a seal on his partner's back with his bare hands. _The Flying Thunder God Seal._

The Fourth introduced himself to the Mist-swordsman. Itachi's mind whirled. _He's stalling for time.. a distraction._

Kisame pointed his sword at the blonde. "Let's see if you're as strong as they say."

Without warning, the former Kage, ignoring the shark-man, flipped out another Hiraishin Kunai and threw it straight at the stationary Uchiha. Itachi deflected it with a kunai of his own.

 _Not that easy huh?_ Minato frowned as Kisame sent a massive water dragon wheeling his way.

The Fourth disappeared, collecting both Hiraishin kunai and reappearing on the other side of the rooftop. The water dragon wheeled around and missiled toward him.

Activating the seal he'd placed on the Mist-swordsman earlier, he reappeared and slapped the man on the lower back with a bare palm, applying arrays of an explosive seal. (1)

With impossible speed, Kisame whipped around with his sword, but the Yellow Flash was faster. Activating the Flying Thunder God, he again reappeared behind the shark-man and sent him flying off the rooftop with a kick.

Kisame bore his teeth in pain as the explosive seal detonated. It burned into his back, propelling him faster into the ground. His tough hide and massive Chakra reserves saving his life from the otherwise lethal blast.

 _Damn!_ Kisame grit his teeth, coughing blood into the air. _That Flying Thunder God might be on the level of Itachi's Sharingan. They're both cheat as hell._

Tsunade and Jiraiya rushed out of the bar as he stood shakily to his feet. Kisame frowned. _Well fuck._

-Super Cool Intermission-

Minato turned, leaving Hoshigaki Kisame to the two Sannin. He turned to Uchiha Itachi, holding his eyes level at the man's chest.

Itachi smirked. "It seems you know not to meet my eyes, Namikaze Minato. Yellow Flash and Fourth Hokage of Konoha."

The Fourth sent four Hiraishin flying. Itachi deflected every single one with his own well-aimed kunai, sending two extra toward the man's head. Minato quickly flashed to all his kunai and collected them back into his sleeves, dodging the Uchiha's projectiles while doing so.

The former Kage landed, his voice carrying softly across the rooftop. "Why did you do it?"

Itachi paused. _The Flying Thunder God is the Fourth's signature seal._

"Your mother.. she loved you. You hated the war. She said you were a pacifist."

 _Those with the Flying Thunder God drawn onto their bodies were marked for death._

 _The Flash was one of the fastest Ninja alive._

"There was nothing you wanted more than peace. What changed? Why?!"

 _There is no escape once he had you in his sights. It's either kill the Fourth Hokage or tell him the truth._

"Uchiha Itachi!" A third voice fell to the Uchiha's ears. _Sasuke._

" _You MURDERER_!" The raven haired genin flew across the roof with a Chidori crackling in his hand. The tiles around it disintegrated, leaving a trail of destruction. In a blink of a second, Sasuke was thrusting his hand at his brother.

Itachi stepped quickly to the side, clamping his hand onto the Chidori-holding arm and directing it away. A shockwave blew into the air behind him. " _Sasuke."_

Taking this chance, Minato threw a flurry of seven Hiraishin kunai in succession at the older Uchiha. _Just a little bit closer!_

The kunai disintegrated off the armor of a massive golem of flaming Chakra. "' _Susanoo.'"_

Down on floor level, Hoshigaki Kisame lay dead, crushed under the feet of Konoha's two Sannin. Jiraiya's eyes turned up to the roof. A flaming golem towered high into the sky. The Toad Sage gaped. _What the fuck? Itachi can do that?!_

Within the golem, Itachi snagged his brother by his collars, staring into the younger Uchiha's Sharingan eyes. "You're _much_ too weak.." Sasuke's eyes stared back at him filled with absolute loathing and involuntary love. Itachi's eyes swirled. "' _Tsukuyomi'_ "

Sasuke's world fell to pieces, and he was suddenly back in Konoha in his 8 year old body.

His legs moved on their own, taking him to the guest room of his home. _Mother.. Father. I passed with flying colors!_

He opened the door to a nightmare. "Sasuke.." His mother breathed her last breath and collapsed onto the body of his father, and died. His brother's glowing red eyes stared back at him as he held the sword which had dealt the killing blow.

 _No. This can't be happening!_ Sasuke fell to the floor, his grief overwhelming him as he screamed in sorrow. He cried as his brother lifted his katana to deal him the final blow. _Mother.. Father!.. Nii-san?! WHY?!_

At the apex of his pain, the scene disappeared and he was back in his eight year old body, his legs moving on their own. _Mother.. Father. I passed with flying colors!_ He ran happily, a smile adorning his face.

Three seconds later, Itachi dropped his unconscious brother to the floor. Sasuke couldn't become an enemy of the leaf. He _must_ live. This was _necessary_.

The Fourth's voice carried loudly into the night air. "How could you do this. To your own brother. To your own family?!"

Itachi turned to the angry Kage. "Yondaime Hokage. Look into my eyes. Let me show you."

"Only a fool would look into an Uchiha's eyes." The Fourth sneered in disgust. "I saw what you did to your brother."

The Uchiha remained impassive. "Look into my eyes. I will show you the truth."

"You monster." Minato breathed softly.

"If you want to know _why_ , look into my eyes. _Let me show you the truth_."

Slowly, reluctantly, the Fourth turned his eyes up into the Uchiha's glowing red ones, his desire to understand, to _know_ , overwhelming his anger and self-preservation.

* * *

-Start Flashback: Read it.. or not.-

* * *

Suddenly he was standing back in Konoha. It was the village a few years after the Nine-tails' attack. The visual realism was overwhelming. He was seeing the world through Itachi's eyes. They were on a cliff, another man standing before him.

"Looks like the Uchiha coup d'etat can't be prevented." The man inflected heavily. "If we get into a civil war, other countries will invade. Real war will break out. I tried to stop the coup d'etat with the kotoamatsukami, but Danzo stole my right eye. He doesn't trust me. He intends to protect the village no matter what it takes or how it looks. I suspect he'll be coming after my left eye soon, so I will entrust it to you, Itachi."

The man dug his fingers into his eye, blood sliding down his cheeks.

Itachi's emotions played across Minato's mind. "Shisui.."  
The man, Uchiha Shisui, extended his hand. "You're the only person I can count on, my best friend. Please protect this village.. and the Uchiha name."

The scene vanished. Minato found himself kneeling in a room in front of none other than Konoha's council and the Third Hokage himself. _Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura. Sarutobi Hiruzen. Shimura Danzo._

Koharu's voice scraped his ears. "We cannot allow this. If they are going to start a revolution and usurp our power, then we have no choice but to judge the Uchiha as traitors of the Leaf."

"Wait, Koharu." The old Third Hokage croaked. "We don't have to rush to such drastic measures."

"But Hiruzen." Danzo cut in. "The Uchiha will not be dissuaded. We must take measures to prevent a disaster from happening.. that includes innocent children."

"No." The Third inflected. "Dissuading the Uchiha won't be easy, but there must be some other way."

Danzo shook his head. "We don't have time to try your 'ways'. We have to strike preemptively. If we join our ANBU forces together and launch a surprise attack from behind, it'll be over in no time."

The Third closed his eyes. "The Uchiha are old comrades at arms. I want to settle this with words first before force. I will come up with something. Itachi." He opened his eyes, turning it to the spectator. Minato looked back into the eyes of the Third. A feeling of pride shivered through him. _Still ever sticking to his ideals of peace._ _Just like I remember_.

The Third continued, ignorant of Itachi-Minato's thoughts. "Buy me some time. However little it may be."

The scene changed before his eyes. They were standing in a place Minato had never seen before. The moon glowed a half-sliver behind wisps of cloud. He was alone with Danzo. The other council members were nowhere to be seen.

Danzo's spoke in a heavy voice. "Despite his words, when push comes to shove, the Third _will_ move to protect the village. That's just the way he is. In which case, even Hiruzen, as Hokage, will have to take decisive measures. Whether it results in war or not, the moment the coup d'etat happens, the Uchiha will lock themselves into a fate of annihilation.. including your innocent little brother."

Minato frowned inwardly. _Typical Danzo. Threatening people's family and friends._

Danzo spoke without pause. "However, there is a way to spare _just_ your little brother before the coup happens. If things come to pass, your brother will likely come to know the truth. If he witnesses the death of his entire clan by the hands of the Leaf, he will turn a vengeful heart toward the village. Then, unfortunately, he will have to die as well."

Minato spoke involuntarily in Itachi's voice. "Is that a threat?"

"No." Danzo's piercing eyes gazed into their own. "I only want you to make a choice. Either join with your clan, launch the coup and die with them, or side with the leaf and save your little brother before it happens. Then, help us eliminate all other Uchiha. In any case, things must be settled before any mayhem can occur in order to protect the village. And the only one who can be trusted to do this is you, a double agent for both the Leaf and the Uchiha. There is no one else.. Itachi."  
Danzo paused. "Itachi, this will be the most painful mission for you, but, on the other hand, it will also allow your little brother to be spared. I know you care about the village as much as I. Will you take the mission?"

Itachi closed his eyes for a brief moment of thought and wordlessly turned away.

The scene transitioned again and this time Itachi was standing before the very same mask worn by the man who'd directed the Nine-tails to attack the village years back. This time, it was Itachi who was speaking.

"I kept an eye on you. I've looked into your character and ideals."  
"Well that saves me time. You already know that I hate the Leaf and the clan."

Itachi-Minato stared hard at the masked man. "Here are the terms. I will help you exact revenge on the clan, but you are not to harm the village. Nor.. Uchiha Sasuke."

* * *

-End Flashback - Glad you read it.. If you didn't.. meh. It's what he showed Sasuke with some parts cut off (because those were more personal between Sasuke and Itachi.. like the moment he killed his parents)-

* * *

Minato stood in place, unable to respond as he continued staring into the Uchiha's glowing red eyes. "Did that _really happen?!"_

Jiraiya appeared on the roof, having told the other Sannin to stay below to protect Naruto.

Itachi let his Susanoo disappear, the golem dissipating into the air. "No one else is to know. For my brother's sake."

He turned and left. Minato let him leave and walked over to the unconscious form of Uchiha Sasuke. The genin lay crumpled on the floor.

The Toad Sage followed. "We should take him to Tsunade. She'll know what to do."  
"Yeah." The Fourth nodded and threw a kunai down to ground level.

"Wait."

Minato stopped.

"What Itachi just showed you.. we need to talk."

Nodding quietly, Minato calmly put his hand on the unconscious Uchiha and disappeared.

* * *

-Footnote-

(1): Fun fact. This moment when Kisame had the explosive seal drawn on his back is taken from Silver Queen's fic, "Dreaming of Sunshine", which I'm sure most of you have already read. Touch Blast! Boom!

I told her that I put it in my fic and she told me good luck! Coming from _the_ Silver Queen herself. I had a fanboy moment (and I do not apologize.) XD

Anywho.

* * *

-A/N-

R&R and le kittens will be spared. I also have some _dastardly_ cute bunnies with me. Don't make me do it.

I like sandwiches.


	20. (3) Hatred

D/C: Even if my name were Kishimoto, I still wouldn't own Naruto. Sad isn't it?

...

My T-shirts vary in size. Some of them are too large, some of them are too small. Others are just right.

* * *

Jiraiya looked pensively at his student. "How much did he show you?"

Minato frowned. "Uchiha Itachi is a _hero_. How many people know?"

"Me, the council, the Third, Itachi himself," - Minato rolled his eyes - "and you."

"And how did _you_ come to know?"

"They needed someone to collect the information that Itachi could provide. I'm the Leaf's spymaster." Jiraiya shrugged. "I handle a lot of confidential information, so they trusted me to keep the secret."

Minato frowned. "I don't care what Itachi says. What we're doing to him is _wrong_. Danzo shouldn't have made him do it. Jiraiya-sensei.. _I was_ _in his_ _mind_. I lived through all of it as if I were there. All he could think about was his brother."

Minato paused. _Danzo you manipulative bastard._

He shook his head of the thought. "He had to kill his own parents. That's like asking me to kill _you_. That's something I can't even fathom doing."

Jiraiya allowed himself a smile. "Glad you think that. Now.. that business about killing the villagers..?"

"I was angry." Minato rolled his eyes. "I could never do something like that."

"Good. I didn't want to have to kill you."

Minato scoffed. "You couldn't even if you tried."

The Sage shrugged. "All strong opponent's have weaknesses."

They sat in contemplative silence.

"I'm going to tell his brother. Sasuke deserves to know."

Jiraiya nodded. "Agreed, but we only tell him about his brother's innocence. We'll have Itachi show him the rest.. he's the only one who can convince the kid to not turn against the Leaf.

"Fine."

-Intermission-

Sasuke woke to the sight of a despicably clean, sunlit room.

A voice sounded to his side. "Yo, kiddo."

He turned to the sight of none other than the legendary Sannin, Senju Tsunade, the last of the Senju and the greatest medic-nin alive.

"What?" The Uchiha furrowed his brows. "Where-?"

Tsunade smirked. "You're alive if that's what you're wondering. That Uchiha Itachi put you through some serious mental trauma. You're pretty lucky I was around and that _they_ " - she gestured to the other side of the room to two blondes and a white-haired man - "asked me to treat you."

"YO! Sasuke!" Naruto grinned.

 _Loud as ever._ Sasuke winced. "Where is he?"

Naruto's grin faltered. "Who?"

"My brother. Who else?"  
Behind him, his father frowned. "Uchiha Sasuke. We need to talk."

The genin looked away. "If this is about my desire to avenge my family, then I don't want to talk about it."

"It's about your brother."

Sasuke clenched his fists. "I'm going to kill him for what he's done and there's nothing you can say that will change my mind."

"Welp. I'm done here." Tsunade stood up. "I'm not listening to this kid's shit. If anyone needs me I'll be at the bar. Shizune, let's go."

A black-haired woman that had been standing at the doorway inclined her head. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Wait." The Toad Sage called to his former teammate.

Annoyed, the last of the Senju line turned. "What do you want, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya looked her sternly in the eyes. "I paid off the bar for that table you destroyed. Do try to be careful next time, Tsunade-hime."

Tsunade frowned. _Now I owe him a table._ She paused. _I owe Jiraiya, the Sage of Toads, a_ table _of all things_. "Tch! Whatever." The woman turned brusquely and left.

"She's as cute as ever." The Sage of Toads grinned before turning a more somber face to his younger student. "Naruto." He motioned toward the door.

"But.." Naruto frowned, his face turned toward his genin-teammate who was pointedly not looking at him.

His father put a hand on his shoulders. "This is for Sasuke's ears only. I'll tell you when things have settled down and you're ready to hear it, alright?"

He nodded reluctantly.

Minato gave his son a smile. "You have one week to win that bet. You should be practicing."  
Naruto nodded.

"Try doing it with your shadow clones. You can make a lot so you might learn it a lot faster than I did."

"Ok." Slowly, Naruto trudged toward the door. He turned. "Sasuke. You're one of my important people. Sakura-chan also cares about you a lot."

Sasuke continued to ignore his friend.

"Revenge isn't everything." Naruto turned and ducked out the door.

Sasuke sneered. _He doesn't know_ anything.

"Sasuke." The soft voice of the Fourth Hokage sounded in his ears.

"I said I won't listen so stop talking to me. Leave me alone." Sasuke grit his teeth. _They don't understand. None of them do._

The Fourth continued. "Your brother had a very good reason for what he did."

Sasuke sat up aggressively. " _HE KILLED HIS OWN PARENTS! THERE IS NO GOOD REASON FOR DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT!_ "

Minato sighed. "I can't tell you more but you shouldn't be hating your brother."

The Uchiha turned away, the anger still bubbling in his head. "Get out."

"The next time you see him, ask him to show you the truth."

"I said _get out._ "

Minato turned to his mentor. Jiraiya shrugged. "There's nothing more we can do. Let's go."

With a nod they made to leave.

As the Fourth was closing the door, he stopped. "Oh, I almost forgot."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Go away."

"I removed your cursed seal. You won't have to worry about it anymore."

 _What?!_ "You did _what?!_ " His words fell on empty ears. The Fourth was already gone.

He sat in silence for a few minutes, his thoughts settling in a jumble. He hated to admit it but without the cursed seal, his mind felt.. lighter.

The Fourth Hokage's words began playing through his head.

' _You shouldn't hate your brother.'_

' _Your brother had a very good reason for what he did.'_

That's.. impossible. Nothing can _ever_ be good enough to excuse what his brother did.. right?

 _Show me the truth? What truth? What the hell am I missing?!_

-Intermission-

Minato walked outside to the sight of Naruto standing patiently at the door.

"Is he OK?"

The Fourth nodded, smiling at his son's heartfelt concern. "I thought you'd be training?"

"I am. Look." Naruto turned and pointed at a large group of Naruto's over a hundred strong. A few dispersed erratically. A badly contained Rasengan was _dangerous_.

Minato narrowed his eyes. "I'm _so_ glad that didn't happen to you when you tried that on Tsunade."

"Heheh." Naruto raised a hand to the back of his head. "I guess I just got lucky."

Minato sighed. "Naruto. If anything were to happen to you, I wouldn't even know what to do with myself. Please be careful."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me Dad!" Naruto tried for a comforting grin. "I promise!"

Minato nodded. After a moment of silence, he turned a thoughtful gaze to his son's clones. "You know..that's a lot of clones. You're going to have a huge headache when you dispel them."

"Nah. I do this all the time." With that, the army of clones disappeared in a poof. "See?" Naruto grinned proudly, tapping the top of his head with an open palm. "No headache!"

Minato smiled as a wave of affection rolled through him. "Naruto."

"Hm?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Dad."

"So how much progress did you just make there?"

Naruto pouted. "Still can't do it."

"You've got one week. I'm sure you'll learn it by then. Keep practicing."

Naruto nodded before crossing his fingers in a ram seal. " _'Tajuu: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu'"_

* * *

-A/N-

Less kittens and bunnies died yesterday. How I know that? I'm the one that's been killing 'em. Keep it up! I love you all! ^-^

I eat rice. Every. Day.


	21. (3) Goals

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I own a small electronic keyboard. I play tunes on it.

* * *

 _I need to train. I need to get stronger._ Uchiha Sasuke stared listlessly at the tiles of the room's ceiling. How could he ever beat Itachi lying on a bed?

He examined the creases in the wood. Those words no longer meant anything. All these years, his conviction hadn't wavered the slightest, but the moment he'd allowed doubt to drive a crack into his ambition was the moment he'd lost his will to kill his brother.

Sasuke frowned.

 _The truth. I_ must _know the truth.._

The scene his brother had made him see.. He remembered every moment of it, all seventy hours. The genin grit his teeth. _That traitor.. that_ murderer _. There's no way he could possibly have a good reason to do any of it._

He closed his eyes. _Mother. Father. what do I do now?_

"Oy! Teme! Whatcha up to?!"

Sasuke jumped. Hanging on the window sill was none other than Uzumaki Naruto, village idiot and deadlast of the Shinobi Academy. " _Dobe._ You scared the hell out of me. Don't you know how to knock?"

Naruto grinned. "You can't knock on open windows."

Sasuke turned a deadpan look on his teammate. "That's why you use the door, _dobe_."

"Nah!" The blonde stuck out a tongue. "The window's easier."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"

Impossibly, his friend's grin widened. Naruto tumbled into the room. "I wanna show you something cool. Watch." The blonde genin extended an open palm.

Sasuke examined the hand impatiently. "There's nothing there."

"Wait! Hold on!" Naruto furrowed his brow in concentration.

Slowly, a sphere of blue Chakra swirled into life above his palm.

Sasuke stared into its cerulean depths. "What's it supposed to do?"

"My dad says that it's supposed to be better than your Chidori."

With a look of wonder, Sasuke hovered his own hand over the blue ball of Chakra. He smirked. "I don't feel anything. If this were the Chidori, my hand would've been blown to pieces."

Naruto retracted his rasengan and pouted. "Well it's not done yet. I can only get it to spin in one direction right now, but I'm going to learn to do the multi-directional part by the end of this week and you _better_ believe it."

Still smirking, Sasuke looked into his friend's eyes. "Do you even know what multi-directional means?"

Somehow, Naruto's pout became.. even poutier. "It means lots of different directions. What do you take me for? An idiot?!"

Sasuke grinned. "Why do you think Sakura calls you "Baka" all the time?"

Naruto jumped up. "Teme! You _so_ did not just go there!"

"I _so_ just did, _dobe_."

The two genin butted heads.

"You're always going to be an idiot. No matter what."

Naruto snarled. "Well I'm going to master this thing by the end of the week and the _only_ thing you'll have over me is your useless Sharingan."

 _He's right._ Sasuke frowned and sat back down, rubbing his forehead. "You think you can get your dad to teach me how to do that.. what do you call it anyway?"

"Rasengan!"

"Ow!" The Uchiha flinched. "You didn't have to yell it in my face."

"Yes I did." Naruto beamed. "And I'll have to ask him. If you don't get any stronger, I'm gonna get so far ahead, I'm gonna have to start calling _you_ deadlast."

" _Never._ " Sasuke stood up with a look of horror on his face. "Let's go find your dad."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Minato laid flat on his back on the top of a grassy hill, staring up into the sky. Wisps of cloud floated across the plain of expansive blue. His thoughts played back over what he'd been shown the day before.

 _That masked man.. could he really be.. Uchiha Madara?_

It didn't matter. He'd managed to carve a Flying Thunder God onto the man's back when they'd fought twelve years ago. The seal was still there. He could feel it.

Pulling his headband down to his neck, the Fourth allowed his hair to splay over the grass. _I'm going to need a haircut_..

Below, the sound of hundreds of boisterous Naruto clones made its way up to his ears.

Minato closed his eyes. _He's growing fast. He's getting better every day, doing his best at everything he puts his hands to. He's caring, has a strong will, and is incredibly hardworking. Against all odds, our son has grown to become an absolutely splendid human being. I wish you were here to see him.._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"-up here. You're gonna have to ask him yourself!"

"He's your dad. You talk to him."

"...Fine. But you owe me one.."

"…"

"Dad!"

"I think he's asleep."

"Should I wake him up?"

Sasuke smirked. "What about 'chivalry'?"

"Shut up.. he's not a girl."

"That doesn't even make sense… I think you should let him sleep."

"What? Uchiha Sasuke being _considerate_?! Is the world ending or something?"

Sasuke turned. "You know what? I'm just going to go train myself. Let me know when he's up."

Naruto stamped his feet, whispering loudly at his friend. "Come back here! I'm not your messenger-servant! Teme!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Just leave a clone."

"Oh.."

" _Dobe._ "

"Whatever.. I'm still gonna be stronger than you.. _Teme_."

"Never going to happen.. _Dobe_."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Minato opened his eyes and stretched. _How long have I been asleep?_

"Hey Dad!"

He turned to see his son swinging on a tree by his arms.

"Naruto. What are you up to?"

"Nothing. Sasuke has something _really_ important to tell you. We're waiting by the fields over there." Naruto grinned and pointed into the distance before disappearing into a puff of smoke.

Pulling up his headband, Minato tied it snugly around his forehead. _Now.. time to find out what they're up to._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Seriously, _you_ tell him."

"No."

"Well I'm not doing it for you. It's your loss.. _deadlast_."

" _Fine!_ "

"Tell me what?" Minato crossed his arms and plastered a stern, unamused expression on his face.

Sasuke scowled and moved hesitantly toward the Fourth Hokage. "Yondaime Hokage. I-I'd like you to train me."

The former Kage paused in thought."You're not just going to use what I teach you to slake your thirst for vengeance are you?"

"What's wrong with that?" The genin stared challengingly up into the Kage's eyes.

"I don't want my teachings to be used for things that I do not condone."

" _Tch!_ " Sasuke's voice dropped as he swallowed his pride. "I only want to know the truth."

The Fourth examined the genin with what appeared to be a critical eye, his countenance unmoved.

"Good enough for me!" Minato smiled and raised a finger into the air. "First thing's first."

The Uchiha nodded attentively.

"You're going to have to start calling me 'Minato-sensei'."

Sasuke frowned. _What have I gotten myself into?_ "M-minato sensei. Please teach me."

"Very well, Sasuke- _kun_. Before we do anything, I'm going to have to see what you're capable of." The Kage adopted a traditional taijutsu stance. "Show me what you can do."

* * *

-Later That Night-

* * *

"Alright kiddo, I _just_ finished treating you yesterday. I'm _not_ your personal medic." The Sannin stood brusquely, her expression showing clear distaste. "My time is valuable. Next time you get hurt, you're just going to have to deal with it."

She stomped out the door, her voice carrying loudly down the hall. "Shizune! Let's go."

The dark-haired woman smiled apologetically at the two boys. "She has a little bit of a temper. I'm sure if something serious were to happen to you, she'd help you out. Just try to be careful alright?" With that she was gone.

Naruto sat with a contemplative look on his face before finally breaking the silence.

"Heh. You got beat up by my dad."

"He's the Fourth Hokage, what did you expect?"

"Oh and- 'M-minato-sensei! I-I'd like you to train me!~'" Naruto squealed

Sasuke's face reddened with shame. "I did _not_ say it like that."

"You did."

"Did not."

"I'm never going to let you live that down.." The blonde knelt, taking firm hold of his friend's hand. "'P-please train me. Minato sensei!~'"

Sasuke groaned. "You're _so_ annoying."

Naruto grinned. "That's what friends are for."

Sasuke rolled away. "I'm going to sleep. Turn off the lights when you head out."

"Ok.." Naruto stood up. "G'night Sasuke." And he was gone.

The raven-haired genin turned back and stared silently at the door, muttering quietly under his breath. "Good night.. Naruto."

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

1/11/2016: ERMERGURD! MITTENS' EDITING TRAIN PASSING THROUGH. CHOOCHOO!

Oh and please review. Stroke my ego. Stroke it softly. ^-^


	22. (3) Ideals

Warning: This chapter m _ay_ be rated M for being a little gruesome. _Maybe._ I don't own Naruto.

* * *

Jiraiya turned his head to look out the window toward the ever-present noise of an army of over a hundred noisy, orange boys.

 _That kid.._ The Sage smiled and downed another cup of sake. _I think he's actually going to win that bet._

He'd been trying for twenty years to get his teammate to return to the village. To think that this kid was going to do it in a week. Jiraiya grinned as he poured himself more sake. _That Tsunade never saw that kid coming.._

He downed the alcohol with relish just as his errant teammate crashed into his room. _Well speak of the devil.._

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade walked in carrying a table and slammed it onto the floor.

The Toad Sage arched an eyebrow. "What is that?"

"What the hell do you think it is?"

With careful effort, Jiraiya maintained a neutral face. "It's a table. Why did you just slam a table into my hotel room?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I'm giving it to you."  
"I don't want it."

The female Sannin glared at her teammate. "You're taking the damn table."

The Sage sighed. "What am I going to do with it?"

"Well you could.." Tsunade paused in thought. "..you could put it" -she pushed the table toward a window- "here. Looks nice doesn't it?"

"Tsunade." Jiraiya turned his eyes pointedly at his teammate.

Tsunade frowned. _Why does he have to make everything so damned_ hard _?!_ "What?"

"I travel for a living. I'm _not_ going to be carrying a table around everywhere I go."

The Sannin stopped.

Jiraiya grinned. "You're not getting senile are you? How about-"

The sound of splintering wood exploded into the room, causing the Toad Sage to jump in surprise.  
"Tsunade-sama? What happened?" Shizune, who had been waiting outside, rushed into the room. She took one look at the splintered table and the frightened Sage, and immediately knew what was going on. _He really should've just taken the table quietly_.

"Jiraiya." The Sannin smiled sweetly. "Care to repeat what you just said?"

 _What'd I say?_ Jiraiya rummaged through his memories. ' _not..carrying.. table around everywhere.. not getting senile-' Oh._

"Tsunade-hime. Aging is a part of life. There's no point in denying the fact that-" with quick reflexes, Jiraya leapt to the side with his sake and cup in hand, avoiding a face full of mahogany wood. The wood piece crashed into the wall before clattering onto the floor. Squatting with his feet on the bedpost, he examined his options carefully.

Tsunade's smile sat frozen stiff on her face, her fists clenching together in a tight ball. Behind her Shizune held a hand over her eyes in resignation.

The Sage gazed wistfully at the splinters of wood littering the floor and smiled. "You know what? You're right. It _does_ look pretty nice sitting there by that window. I think I'll take it."

His teammate turned to leave. He set down his sake bottle and lifted a hand. "Wait! How about a date instead?"

 _What are you doing?!_ Shizune began making cutting motions on her neck with her hands. Her warning was, to her surprise, unnecessary.

Tsunade turned. "Fine. But you're paying for that table."

"What? I thought you-"

"No I didn't. I carried it over from my room."

The Sage smiled wryly. "You really know how to weasel the money out of my pockets don't you?"

His teammate grinned. "Come on. I know a really nice, _expensive_ place we can go to."

Jiraiya sighed.

"Oh and one more thing. If you lay even _one_ finger on me," - The Slug Princess raised a fist in a threatening gesture - "I send you flying. Any questions?"

The Toad Sage drooped. _What kind of a date is that?!_

-Intermission-

"Jiraiya-sensei."

"Mmmmnn.." The Sage rolled away from the noise. It'd been a long, tiring and _costly_ day, and right now, he wanted nothing more than to sleep.

"Jiraiya-sensei." the Fourth shook his mentor by the shoulder.

"Minato. It's only… one in the morning. What do you want?"

"I'm leaving."

He sat up. "Now?"

"Yes."

"Good luck then."  
The former Kage nodded before vanishing into thin air.

-Intermission-

He was supposed to have died that day, but he was glad that he hadn't. He'd sacrificed everything. His life, his clan's doujutsu, his dreams, his childhood, his happiness.. all of it. He'd thrown it all away so that _they_ could live happily, but it had all been for nothing.

It didn't matter how many years had passed. The thought angered him as much as if it'd only happened the day before.

 _You promised to keep her alive. You_ promised _that she'd have the happiness that I wouldn't be able to give her. You_ betrayed _her. You betrayed_ me _.._

He snarled.

 _Hatake Kakashi!_

The Leaf had betrayed him. His best friend had betrayed him. His entire life up to that point had been nothing but a _lie_.

The night he'd unleashed the Nine-tails on the village had been like a moment of release. It'd felt _good_ watching them die. It was the night he'd made them _suffer_ , the night they'd finally learned to feel a fraction of his pain - the pain of _total, absolute loss_.

He was thankful to the man who'd saved him, a living fossil if there ever was one. He would've died stupidly for a village of liars, traitors and _hypocrites_. They would've lived on in bliss while Rin, his teammate.. his _love_ , lay _dead_. Killed by their very hands. None of them deserved the happiness they had.

 _Namikaze Minato_ , his former Jounin-sensei and Hokage at the time, must've known. He _had_ to have been the one to have sent Kakashi on that mission.. the mission to heartlessly murder one of their own.. _for the sake of the Leaf_.

Obito's fist's squeezed tight at the thought. _Even my own sensei's betrayed me_.

Truly, he was grateful to the man who'd showed him the truth. _Uchiha Madara_.

-Flashback-

 _'Akatsuki's Leader, Nagato.. or Pein as he likes to call himself, is nothing but a puppet: using my Rinnegan eyes to further our goal. I want you to help guide him to collecting the Bijuu. We shall recreate the ten-tails._

 _Humans are pitiful creatures, always drifting toward hatred and causing pain to each other in an endless cycle. True peace can_ never _happen whilst free will exists. Once the ten-tails is collected, I will cast the Infinite-Tsukuyomi on the world and put everyone in an eternal illusion of bliss where all their dreams come true. For that to happen, you must have Nagato use the Rinne-Tensei to revive me. Only then will the world know true and everlasting peace. Only then will the pain you've suffered become nothing more than a thing of the past. I've spent my entire life trying to achieve this goal. I will pass the burden on to you for a short while. Zetsu and Tobi will be there to help you when you need them. My time is at an end. Go. Save the world from it's pain.'_

' _Wait, what is your name? Tell me who you are!'_

' _My name..'_ The man detached himself from the thing that had sustained his life for the past decades. ' _Uchiha Madara.'_

With his last words, the old man was, after over a hundred years, finally dead. Obito spared one last look at his ancestor and benefactor. _Uchiha Madara, your dream.._ our _dream.. shall become reality._

' _So where do we go now?_ ' Tobi's voice sang cheerily.

'To Ame, the nation of rain. That's where we'll find the leader of the Akatsuki.'

-End Flashback-

"Are ya asleep yet?"

 _Tobi_. Obito lay still, ignoring his friend.

"I can tell when you're not asleep ya know."

"Tobi. _Shut up_. Let me sleep."

A white plant-like substance detached itself from the Uchiha's body and pooled onto the adjacent floor, swirling into a humanoid shape. The man proceeded to pace the cavern's stone surface. "Hey come on now, Obito. You know I don't do sleep like you do. I'm bored. I have to say something and talk to someone."

Unmoved, Obito's voice echoed through the chamber. "You can talk to yourself after I'm asleep."

The humanoid shape continued its incessant pacing. it's spiral-shaped face turning toward its friend as it did so. "Well how do I even know when you're asleep?"

"You just told me that you can tell when I'm not asleep. That means that you can also tell when I _am_ asleep."

"Ya got me there." The substance merged back onto its friend. "Sweet dreams, Obito."

Uchiha Obito, one of only three Uchiha alive and former student of the Fourth Hokage, let the silence envelop him as he drifted into sleep on the hard, cavern floor.

He woke to the feeling of excruciating pain in his eyes. Obito screamed as blood poured out of his eye-sockets. Before he could even react or figure out what was going on, the cold cavern air shifted and he was suddenly lying on soft mattress in a warm, bedroom environment.

* * *

-A/N-

I enjoy the fics where people are left alive to reap the guilt of their cruelties too. Those always make me feel tingly good. People who write those kind of fics should put something like:

" **THIS IS THE FIC IN WHICH JUSTICE IS SERVED!** "

Yeah!

Justice!


	23. (3) Memories

Disclaimer: Because disclaimers are cool (oh and I don't own Naruto). Also, this chapter is definitely rated M for gore. So. Tread with care.

* * *

The plan had been simple. Strike when the man was asleep. Remove the Uchiha's source of power - his eyes.

He'd spent nearly ten minutes setting up the wards around his bed - he wasn't going to sleep in it.. not for the rest of the night anyway. Before he left, he moved to the room next door to notify his mentor before returning to make last minute checks on the detainment seals that he'd set up half an hour before.

He closed his eyes. The man, this 'Uchiha Madara' who'd enslaved the Nine-tails, killed his wife and slaughtered the villagers, had been lying still for nearly three hours now. He was undoubtedly asleep.

Minato tensed.

If the man hadn't invaded the village, kidnapped his wife and released the Nine-tails, Kushina would've still been alive. She would've been here by his side. They should have had so many more years together..

Despite having lived Jiraiya's philosophy of _understanding_ and _peace_ for the better part of his life, the Kage seethed with barely contained hatred as he clenched his fists in unadulterated fury. _Damn you! 'Uchiha Madara'!_

Activating the Flying Thunder God that he'd placed on the man twelve and a half years ago, the Fourth appeared instantly over the Uchiha's sleeping form, his hands poised right above the man's eyelids. With practiced speed, he gouged the Sharingan-containing eyes straight out of their sockets.

The man's scream was _pure bliss_.

Crushing the eyeballs and dropping them to the floor, Minato slapped a bloody hand over the man's face and vanished, leaving behind a very shocked Tobi. "What the fuck just happened? Obito?!"

Reappearing back in the room in which he'd set up the detainment seals, Minato shoved the man onto the bed and keyed the seal to him using the man's blood. He smirked. _That was almost too easy._

The man's features were grotesque. Half his face, trailing down his neck and into his shirt were gnarled and twisted. He held a hand over where his eyes were formerly held. Trickles of blood and tears flowed between his fingers. "TOBI! WHERE AM I?! WHAT'S HAPPENED?!"

 _Tobi.. who?_

Receiving no response, the man opted to addressing his captor. "Who are you?!"

The blonde grinned ferally. "Namikaze Minato, Fourth Hokage of Konoha, come back from the dead to avenge the people of my village and my wife for what you did that night. Now it's my turn to ask the questions. Who are you? Why did you release the Nine-tails and attack the Leaf twelve years ago?"

"Minato-sensei." The man's teeth were clenched in pain as his blood dampened the white bedsheets beneath him. _Minato-sensei?_ _Wait._ Minato froze in horror. _No. It can't be._

The man turned his head blindly toward the voice of the former Kage. "I did it all for the sake of peace."

 _Obito_.

-Intermission-

Uchiha Obito.. died thirteen years ago after having half his body crushed under a boulder and, in doing so, saved the life of one Hatake Kakashi. It was hard to imagine that this once jubilant child who aspired to become Hokage had become this.. this twisted man before him.

"Obito.. what happened to you? What part of killing the people of your village is peace? Which part of causing thousands of people to _suffer_ and _die_ is peace?!" He stared at the blind man. This couldn't _possibly_ be Uchiha Obito. Uchiha Obito was _kind_. Uchiha Obito would _never_ hurt the villagers. Uchiha Obito would _never_ slaughter his own clan. "Which part of peace was it when you took the Nine-tails out of my wife to destroy the Leaf?"

"Things have changed. I was there when Kakashi stuck his Lightning Hands into Rin's body. Rin did not deserve to die. She did not deserve to be betrayed like that over the squabbles between the villages." The man, Obito, furrowed his brows in thought as he picked through his words carefully. "I realized something that day. Humans are spiteful creatures. We are constantly at war, constantly fighting, killing, dying, leaving a trail of hate and _pain_ everywhere we go. We've been doing it since before the founding of our villages and we will continue to do it as long as we exist. The pain I felt that day, it is happening everywhere, even now as we speak."

Minato's body tensed tightly. "That still doesn't explain what you did."

The Uchiha nodded. "What I seek to do is to free the world from this pain. For that, I need all the Bijuu and, with its power, cast an eternal genjutsu over the entire world. The people will be put into paradise, an illusion of eternal bliss in which all their dreams come true. Minato-sensei. The pain you feel at the loss of your wife and the pain I felt at Rin's death are the same. You of all people should understand what it's like. Once the Eternal Tsukuyomi is cast, no one will _ever_ have to suffer again. I'll be able to live with Rin, and you will be able to see your wife again."

Minato allowed the tension in his body to loosen. Obito's words. They were.. compelling. "And what about all the people you killed? What about _their_ happiness?"

"The greater good sometimes requires sacrifice. It is unfortunate but necessary."

" _No._ " Minato grabbed his ex-student by the scruff of his collar. "You _had_ the damned Nine-tails. You could've just left with it, but you _didn't_. You _stayed_ to kill the villagers."

Obito smirked. "Sensei. The Leaf betrayed Rin. It betrayed _me_. Don't pretend like you've never once in your life desired vengeance. You have me here. You _hate_ me. Do you not?"

Minato resisted the urge to slam a fist into the man's face. "You're the reason my son's childhood was filled with _suffering_. You're the reason Kushina is _dead_."

"And how is you hurting me any different from me doing the same to those who betrayed me. I won't lie. Killing them.. it felt _good_."

Minato threw a fist across Obito's twisted cheeks.

The Uchiha smiled. "Vengeance is a beautiful thing isn't it? You _hypocrite_."

The Fourth closed his eyes and slowly dropped the man back onto the bed. He was having a headache.

Obito lay crumpled in pain on the bedsheets, a smile of victory played lightly across his face. "Congratulations, Minato-sensei. You've captured me, the man who brought disaster to the Leaf.. the man responsible for your wife's death. What are you going to do with me now?"

A silence hung over the room as the Fourth stood in quiet contemplation. Finally, he replied with a soft voice. "Even if you were to succeed.. the life you'd have me live.. Kushina would still be dead. She can't be replaced by a mere illusion.. she wouldn't be real. Her happiness would be nothing but a lie. My son would be replaced by a lie. What you seek to achieve.. it can never be the same." He turned his eyes toward the pitiful figure of his former student. "The world is a terrible place when all you see is pain and suffering. You start to forget that pain and suffering isn't all there is.. you start to lose faith in humanity. But if you'd care to look, you'd see that there is still love. There is still happiness. True happiness. Obito. I believe that there will come a day when people finally understand each others' desire for happiness - for peace. That is the true resolution to our conflict. It is the only way true peace can be created. What you seek is a lie."

"Pretty words. Iwa still hates you for what you've done to them. Ame still suffers and is willing to try anything to restore itself. We've been at each other's throats for hundreds of years! _Nothing's_ changed. Nothing will _ever_ change. There is only the Eternal Tsukuyomi."

"I remember a boy who wanted to become Hokage and believed in the impossible. You were the one who believed that Kakashi could come to understand compassion for his teammates and for himself. And you know what? You were right. People aren't so hopeless as you think. You can still believe."

A few stray tears slid down Obito's cheeks, mixing with the trail of blood. "And yet he still killed Rin."

"Kakashi did _not_ kill Rin. She forced him to do it by intercepting his attack. Rin protected the village up to the moment she died. You were there weren't you? You can't blame Kakashi for Rin's sacrifice. He does that enough to himself already. He wouldn't even talk to me, and did nothing but suicidal missions until I took him off the mission roster."

Obito froze and began to feel a sinking sensation in his guts. _Kakashi didn't kill Rin?!_ "But why would she do that?"

"The Kiri-nin planted a Bijuu inside her. It was either that or let it destroy her home. Obito.. Rin sacrificed her life to save the same village that you tried to destroy."

As his former mentor's words began sinking in, Obito's mind went into shock. _What have I done?_ Rin's final moment flashed before his eyes. _What have I done?!_

"Minato-sensei.." The Fourth watched as his former student began to cry. "I'm sorry.. I'm so sorry.. I'm so sorry."

Minato closed his eyes, the roiling hatred he'd felt earlier all but gone. This wasn't just some criminal. It was _Obito_.. his former student, a boy who believed that anything was possible.. a boy who they'd thought dead from having sacrificed his life to save his own teammate.

Minato's voice softened. "I'll be back. We'll have you fixed up in a moment." He disappeared in a flash.

Obito remained seated as tears fell red onto his lap. _What have I done? I'm so sorry. Minato-sensei. Kakashi. Rin. What have I done..._

* * *

-A/N-

Jleath: More like Jounin-sensei, but interpret as you will. ^-^

Mugetsu: Haha. You really don't want to know what I do to the kittens and bunnies that I'm _not_ sparing.

Bunnies and Kittens.


	24. (3) Acceptance

Disclaimer: Another short chapter and another cool disclaimer. Just because. Not like I'll _really_ get sued for not putting it here. I don't own Naruto btw.

* * *

She woke to the sound of knocking. Shizune groaned. _What time is it?_

The knocking continued.

A sharp voice spoke to her in the dark. "Shizune. Get the door."

 _But I want to sleep. Ugh.._ The Slug Sage's apprentice yawned and stretched before getting up. "This better be important." She made an attempt to fix her hair as she moved her way to the door.

Stifling another yawn, she took the knob and inched the door open.

Behind her, the voice of her mentor blared loudly into the hall. ' _Shizune! Tell whoever it is that there better be a_ damned _good reason we're being disturbed at two in the fucking morning!_ '

Shizune gave the blonde before her a pointed look. "Namikaze-san."

The Fourth bit his lips. "Shizune-san. Tell her that I have someone who requires her immediate attention."

"No need." Tsunade melted out of the darkness. Clearly vexed, she fixed the former Kage with a glare. "I'm already here. Minato, whoever it is better be dead or dying."

Minato nodded and gestured. "My room."

"Alright." The Sannin sighed. "Shizune."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"

"Get dressed."

"R-right away." The woman flushed and quickly ducked back into the room.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes at the former Kage. "I saw you looking."

Minato shrugged as Shizune rushed out into the hall wearing a pair of bright green shorts.

"Let's go."

-Intermission-

"The left side of his body's been crushed, and he has.. various other injuries."

Tsunade nodded and stomped into the room. She took one look at the bloody mess staring back at her from its empty sockets and froze. The Sannin turned. "Shizune. You treat him. I'm going back to bed."

"B-but-"

"He's not in critical condition. Use what I've taught you." Tsunade glowered at the blonde standing at the doorway and brushed past him gruffly. (1)

Shizune turned to the former Kage. "Namikaze-san. You shouldn't have lied to her."

Minato bowed. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Please help him."

The woman sighed and moved toward her impromptu patient. Minato trailed behind her.

Shizune quickly examined her patient's condition. His face was bruised from some blunt, physical trauma. It was also clear that the man recently had his eyes forcefully removed. And although half his body had indeed been crushed, the injury had healed a long time ago. It had scarred over badly, and his features were permanently ruined.

 _The poor man._ Shizune frowned as she sent her Chakra feeling into his wound. "The injury on his body's healed a long time ago. We don't have to worry about that. On the other hand, someone's dug really deep into his head and tore out his eyes. If it had gone any deeper, he might have suffered some brain damage."

Minato winced. The woman continued her speech. "It'll take awhile to regrow the optical nerves, and he may never see again without a skilled medic to do the transplant operation."

The medic-nin's hand glowed green as she began to mend the wound. "What's his name?"

"Obito." Minato replied.

The medic retracted her hand. "Obito-san. I've stopped the bleeding. I'm going to clean up your face before I continue working."

Obito nodded.

"Namikaze-san. I need a basin and a wet towel."

Minato disappeared and was back almost instantly with the requested items.

Taking the towel, Shizune quickly mopped up her patient's face.

She gave the blind man a comforting smile. "You're going to be OK."

-Intermission-

Shizune put on the last touches as she finished wrapping the cloth around Obito's head. "Don't take this off or the gauze might fall out. You don't want to agitate the wound. I'll be back to finish the rest of your treatment after I get some sleep." She stood up and yawned. "I should be able to have him completely healed - minus the eyes - by the end of today. I'm going to use your restroom real quick alright?"  
Minato nodded. "That's fine."

He traced a hand slowly over the strip of cloth that surrounded his former student's eyes. "I'm sorry for being so rough. That must've hurt."

"Sensei." Obito resisted the urge to burst into tears. "I don't deserve your apology."

Minato sighed just as Shizune came out of the bathroom, her hands cleaned of the blood that'd stained it moments before.

The Sannin's apprentice made her way to the door. "Good night Namikaze-san, Obito-san."

Minato stood up. "Wait, Shizune-san."

"Hm?" The woman turned.

Minato bowed. "Thank you."

Shizune smiled. "Oh yeah no problem. Just" - she yawned - "you people pick the worst times to get injured. Good night." She moved out into the hallway, closing the door softly behind her.

"Minato-sensei."

The Fourth turned back to his student.

"Thank you."

Minato smiled. "Let me take out those bedsheets. It's covered in blood."

Obito bowed his head. "Even after all I've done-"

"Even after all you've done." Minato interrupted assertively as he folded up the sheets in his hands and tossed it into a corner.

"I'm so sorry.."

Minato put a hand on Obito's shoulder. "I know you are. It's past three in the morning. We'll speak more when we're both rested."

After receiving a nod from his student, the Fourth stretched himself out onto a swiftly-laid futon and promptly fell asleep.

-Intermission-

He woke to the sound of knocking.

A voice muffled through the door. ' _Dad!'_

The doorknob rustled.

' _It's locked, dobe.'_

' _Let's try the window.'_

' _What if he doesn't want to be disturbed? Wait! Hold on! Naruto!'_

He heard the sound of something tapping outside. _Something's running up the wall._

"Oh whew! He left the window open. Teme! Hurry up!"

"Uzumaki Naruto."

The boy jumped, nearly falling off the ledge on which he was standing. "Who the hell are you?! What the hell happened to my dad?!"

Obito smiled. "Your father is still asleep. You should let him rest. He's had a long night."

Naruto glanced onto the floor toward his father's sleeping figure as his friend pushed him over from behind. The two tumbled into the room. The blonde's voice dropped into a whisper. " _Teme, what was that for?"_

" _You were standing in the way. I_ told _you he was still asleep! Dobe._ "

" _Whatever._ "

" _Who's that?_ "

" _I don't know._ "

The Uchiha examined the man on the bed. _Black hair.. medical cloth around the head and eyes.. scarred face.._ "Hey. Who are you? Why are you in sensei's room?"

 _Sensei?_ "I'm also a student of his.. from a long time ago. And who might you be?"

"Uchiha Sasuke. What's _your_ name?"

Obito sat up. "Uchiha Sasuke. I know your brother."

"What?!"

"Uchiha Itachi. We worked together for a number of years. I'm Obito. Uchiha Obito."

Sasuke's eyes widened. _Another Uchiha?!_ "Were you there the night my brother committed the Massacre?"

The man, Obito, went silent for several moments.. "I was."

"What.. what were you doing? How did you survive?"

"I helped your brother do the job. He couldn't have done it alone."

 _He helped my brother.. do the job?_ Sasuke stood up, his body tensed with barely contained fury. " _Why?!_ "

Obito paused in thought. "I let myself fall prey to vengeance. I'm sorry."

"Is that the reason my brother did it too? _Vengeance_?" The younger Uchiha grit his teeth as he pulled a kunai out of his sleeves and began making his way toward the blind man.

Naruto grabbed the hem of his friend's shirt. "Oy, Sasuke. What are you doing?"

The Uchiha turned his blood-red Sharingan toward his friend. " _Naruto. Let go of me._ "

The blonde dropped his hand.

"Uchiha Sasuke _stand down_."

Sasuke turned to see the dishevelled figure of the Fourth Hokage sitting up on a futon. The man's hair was in disarray and a small shadow hung below his eyes, but he was undoubtedly awake.

" _He murdered my clan_.." The genin spat. "..for _vengeance_."

Minato stood, ready to intercede if the boy tried anything. "It's the same reason you're trying to kill him. Vengeance begets vengeance. It is not the answer. Obito regrets what he did. Don't make the same mistake."

Sasuke tightened his grip on the kunai, his knuckles whitening from the strain. "Is that why my brother did it? _Vengeance_? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"No. Your brother did it for an entirely different reason."

" _What. Reason?_ "

"It's best if he showed you."

"That's _bullshit_. This isn't over." The genin turned and raced out of the room.

Naruto jumped up. " _Oy! Teme! Wait!_ "

The blonde whirled around at the doorway with a sheepish smile. "Sorry to wake you Dad."

Minato sighed as his son ducked out of sight. "I'm going to have to go after them to.." He yawned. "..make sure they don't do anything stupid. I'll be back."

The Fourth vanished in a burst of speed, leaving the blind Uchiha alone in the room.

 _Vengeance begets vengeance_.. The man hung his head. _Uchiha Obito. What the hell have you been doing all these years?_

* * *

- **Footnote** -

(1) To those who don't remember: Tsunade is canonically hemophobic. Just thought I'd throw that out there.


	25. (3) Together

Disclaimer: I'm an evil son of a bitch. :D

* * *

All he wanted to do was run - putting one foot in front of the next. He was tired of being manipulated, tired of having his thoughts be controlled at the whims of others.

His brother's image came to mind, holding his eight year old self by the scruff of his neck. ' _Do you hate me, Sasuke? The man who killed everyone you ever knew to be important?'_

He remembered his brother's glowing red eyes staring back placidly - _bored_ \- into his own. ' _You actually_ believed _that image of a caring brother? You were always so gullible...' -the man smirked- '_ Why? _You ask.'_ \- the monster's shoulders rose nonchalantly in a half-hearted shrug - ' _I guess I just wanted to test my strength.'_

It was that moment, the moment when he realized that his family - all those that he'd loved - had been killed at a petty whim. It was that moment that he knew that it had all been a lie: the piggyback rides home, the soft countenance, the affectionate smiles and the apologetic touch on the forehead. It was the moment he realized what hatred truly was. This man before him - this 'brother' - he wanted this man _dead_.

Glaring at his brother for the first time, he'd been tossed like a ragdoll on top of his parent's bodies. ' _So weak.. if you want to see me pay for what I have done, then come back when you have more hatred in your heart.'_ \- the older Uchiha smirked - ' _Maybe then you won't be so_ useless _.'_

He pumped Chakra into his legs and leapt high into the air, landing atop one of the trees at the edge of the nation's vast forest.

He grit his teeth. _Why?! Why?! WHY?! WHY?! ITACHI!_

"Sasuke! Wait!"

 _Naruto_. He turned. _Why can't he just leave me alone?_ The past days spent under the tutelage of the Fourth Hokage and living with his friend, those days of peace.. he yearned to stay. But he couldn't. Not until he knew _the truth_. "Naruto. I'm going to find my brother. I'm not coming back until I know why my clan was put to death."

His friend stopped stared up at him from the ground. "But.. my Dad says-"

"I _know_ what your dad says. I'm tired of everyone telling me what to think."

"But you don't even know where you're going! We still have training.. with my Dad. Remember?"

Sasuke stared hard at his friend. "Your dad doesn't want me to use his teaching to do things he does not condone. That.. I cannot promise to do. I can't stay. I'd be betraying his trust." His voice softened. "I'm not going back. Not with _him_ there."

The blonde threw him an inquisitive look. "Who? That Tobito guy?"

 _It's Obito, dobe._ The genin rolled his eyes. "Who else? I don't care what your dad says. If I see that man again, I _will_ kill him."

"So you're just gonna leave?!" Naruto's voice rose. "Just like that?! Throw everyone away?! What about _me?!_ What about _Sakura?! Are you just gonna leave her alone?!_ "

The Uchiha smirked. "We're thirteen. Our relationship is nothing but a child's game."

As his friend's words hit his ears, the blonde clenched his fists and snarled. "That's it! I'm taking you back even if I have to beat the crap out of you to do it."

Sasuke smiled. "Naruto. Remember that mission to wave?"

Naruto glared angrily at his teammate. "Yeah. What about it?"

"You have a Bijuu inside of you. Not just _any_ Bijuu, but the _Nine-tails_. You and I both know it. You're stronger and faster than I am. You have more Chakra and you have a technique that is better than my Chidori."

The fact that Sasuke.. _Uchiha_ Sasuke.. was _admitting_ that he was weaker flew straight over the head of the irate blonde. "What's your _point?!_ "

"My point.." His voice softened. "My point is that even if you beat me to dust, I will keep running. Even if you cripple me, I'll hobble myself away on crutches if I have to. I'll _crawl_. It doesn't matter what you do. _I'm leaving_."

 _But that's so stupid! That doesn't even make sense.. Sasuke..._ Naruto grit his teeth. " _Why?!_ "

The genin stared into his teammates eyes.. eyes full of rage, sadness and a desire to understand. "Because I'm not like you or Minato-sensei. I'm not kind. I'm not understanding. Because I cannot just forgive and forget what's been done to my family." He paused as the truth of his own words hit him. "..because revenge is _everything_ to me."

"But.." Naruto shook. "You can still stay with us.. with me. I'm your friend right? Friends stay together through everything. You can't leave. I'm your _friend_. Sasuke.. _please_." The blonde gazed searchingly into his friend's eyes. "Sasuke.."

The Uchiha smirked. "Kakashi-sensei is hurt really badly right now, do you know that?"

" _What?"_

"Yeah. He might never wake up. You know why I didn't tell you?"

" _Why?"_

 _Because I'm a selfish prick and all I could think about is myself._ "Because I don't care a single bit about him.. or you. None of you matter to me." _I shouldn't matter to you_. "You don't _deserve_ to be my friend." _I don't deserve to be yours_. "I'm leaving to find my brother and find the truth, _alone_. Don't follow me." _Thank you, Naruto, for everything_.

Sasuke turned and began leaping away, his heart shattering with every step.

Naruto stood rooted in place feeling useless and abandoned. He felt something touch his shoulder lightly.

"I'll go get him."

Naruto looked up, his voice wavering as he choked back tears. "Dad.."

Minato nodded and disappeared.

-Intermission-

" _Uchiha Sasuke!_ "

The genin landed on a branch and pivoted, whirling to face the Fourth, who stood about ten meters away on a nearby branch. "Minato-sensei."

"If you leave, the village will have to mark you a missing-nin." Minato examined the boy's expressionless face.

Sasuke stared back expectantly.

"Where are you going to go?"

"Away."

 _Obviously_. Minato resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes, but where?"

"I'm going to travel.. see the world for myself. I'm going to find my brother."

"You don't know where he is."

Minato scanned the Uchiha's face. Sasuke's expression remained without emotion. "I'll find him eventually."

"Obito was part of the Akatsuki. He might know where we could find him. You don't have to do everything alone."

"Minato-sensei." Sasuke replied, unintimidated by the Fourth's scrutiny. "If I go back, I _will_ try to kill him."

Minato sighed. "I know. I heard you earlier. I was there."

"Then what are you going to do?"  
Minato adopted a stern expression. "It's a dangerous world out there."  
Sasuke nodded.

"My son would die for you, you know?"

"I know."

"Promise to at least try reasoning with yourself.. about your need for vengeance?"

Sasuke paused. "I'll try."

They stared silently at each other for a few moments.

"Don't get killed out there."

"I won't." The Uchiha turned to leave.

"Wait."

Something thudded into the bark beside him. _A kunai?_ Sasuke dislodged the three-pronged projectile.

"That has my seal on it. Keep that with you on all times. Signal me by throwing it. I'll be there to help whenever you need me."

Sasuke smiled, his back turned against the former Kage. "Naruto is lucky to have you for a father."

And he was gone.

Minato sighed. _Naruto's going to throw a fit_.

-Intermission-

Naruto's heart sank as he watched his father return alone. "You let him go?!"

"I did."

" _Why?!_ "

"We can't force ourselves on him. He has to figure things out his own way. I'm not going to lock him up just to keep him around. Your friend deserves better than that."

"But.. he's.." Naruto was at a loss for words. His best friend was gone and his chest was suffocating him. The blonde began to cry.

Minato knelt and gave his son a hug. "He'll be just fine. Let's go back."

Naruto sniffed and nodded.

* * *

-A/N-

Apparently the fatter you are, the less ticklish you'll be. Conversely, the leaner you are the more ticklish you'll be. So which do you prefer? Fat and immune or thin and ticklish?

Decisions, decisions..


	26. (3) Homecoming

Disclaimer: The characters in this fic belong to someone else.

* * *

After his friend's departure, Naruto became more clingy than usual. Minato ended up having to carry the twelve year old boy back to town. He didn't mind. The boy had gone his entire childhood without anyone to do this for him. It was the least his father could do.

Minato hefted his son up higher on his back. "Hey. You're getting big."

Naruto pouted and silently laid his cheeks on his father's shoulder.

"Have you learned to do it yet?"

"Do what?" The boy's voice carried lightly into his ears.

"The Rasengan."

"Yeah." Naruto replied dejectedly, his voice still weak from crying.

Minato smiled. It'd taken him three years to develop and learn the technique. To hear that his son had learned it in only a week was both wonderful and unbelievable. "That's amazing. How did you do it?"

"Sasuke told me to try making a clone to help spin it in the other direction and it worked. We were going to show you this morning." Naruto's breath hitched. "I'm such a crybaby."

"It's OK to cry. It just means that you have a kind heart - that you care about the people around you. Most Shinobi don't do that. They forget to _feel_ , and that's why I'm so proud of you, Naruto."

Naruto snuggled into the crook of his father's neck and smiled. "I love you so much dad. Please don't go away too."

"I won't go away. I'll stay as long as you need me." Minato chuckled. "Now you're making _me_ want to cry."

Naruto laughed weakly but said no more.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Jiraiya downed another cup of sake. "That kid's going to win that bet."

"Not likely." Across from him, Tsunade was matching him cup for cup.

The Toad Sage refilled their cups. "What're you going to do if he does?"

His teammate sighed. "I'll go back of course."

"Just like that?"

She took down her shot of sake. "Yeah."

Jiraiya swirled his cup slowly in thought. "You know.. despite what I told you about travelling, I'm actually getting kind of tired." He chuckled. "Must be my age catching up to me."

Tsunade eyed her teammate slowly. "What are you trying to say?"

Jiraiya emptied his cup in a single gulp. "Ah. This stuff's good."

"Jiraiya."

With deliberate leisure, the Toad Sage slowly filled the two empty cups before him and grinned. "What I'm saying is that I'm getting kind of lonely you know what I mean? If you do come back to Konoha maybe we could..?" He trailed off, letting his teammate fill in the blank herself.

Tsunade sighed. "I still love him."

"I know."

"You still want me?"

Jiraiya nodded frankly. "Of course!"

She shook her head. "I can't say I feel the same."

The Toad Sage frowned. "Tsunade give me a chance."

The medic-nin looked thoughtfully into her cup, ignoring the man's plea. "How many women have you had, Jiraiya?"

Her teammate sighed. "Too many to count."

Tsunade nodded judiciously. "You'll always want other women. That's just who you are. I don't think I'd be able to deal with that and I don't think I want to. I have standards you know."

Jiraiya quickly swallowed his drink and poured himself another cup. "Look, Tsunade. I love you. I just want you to love me back. Why can't it be that simple? You're _fifty_. I'm _literally_ your only suitor."

Tsunade drank swiftly and extended her cup toward her teammate. Jiraiya sighed and filled it. The woman shrugged "I'll think about it." before raising her voice. " _Namikaze Minato!_ You owe me an _apology_ for last night."

 _What'd they do last night?!_ Jiraiya raised an eyebrow and frowned. He turned to see his student walking over with one Uzumaki Naruto hanging on his back. "What'd you do last night?" The envy was clear in his voice.

Tsunade twitched. "Jiraiya. You're _hopeless_."

Naruto giggled.

Ignoring his mentor, Minato inclined his head in apology. "My deepest apologies, but I didn't know who else to turn to. If there's anything I can do to pay you back-"

"It's fine." Tsunade gave the former Kage a wave of dismissal. "Just as long as you don't ever lie to me again."

Jiraiya frowned. "So what happened exactly?"

"It's a long story but I found Obito last night and he was hurt. So I asked her to help him." Minato replied.

"You found your student? The one that died fourteen years ago?!"

Minato nodded.

The Sage shook his head. "Unbelievable.."

Minato spoke to his son softly. "Naruto." Naruto nodded and Minato quickly deposited him onto the floor. He turned to his mentor. "Jiraiya-sensei."

"Yeah?"

"I'm going back to Konoha to check on Kakashi to see if he's alright."

"What's wrong with Kakashi?" Jiraiya asked.

"From what I hear, I think he's in a coma."

"How?"

Minato shook his head. "I don't know, but I'll need you to watch Naruto for me while I'm gone."

Jiraiya nodded. "What about his friend?"

"He's gone." Naruto piped in despondently. "He's left to find his brother."

"Oh." The Toad Sage put on a thoughtful look before gazing up at his student. "Naruto can take care of himself. Don't worry about it."

Minato frowned skeptically. He looked down to his son who nodded his approval. "I'll see you later, Naruto." He smiled. "Don't forget to show her" -he gestured toward the female Sannin - "what you can do." After receiving a nod, the Fourth vanished.

Tsunade frowned. "Kid.. don't tell me you've actually done it."

Naruto jumped up and beamed emphatically. "Watch!"

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Reappearing at the marker he'd placed in his apartment bedroom, Minato quickly made his way to the hospital, stopping only at the front desk.

"Hatake Kakashi. Where is he?"

The man at the desk swallowed his surprise at seeing the long-lost Fourth Hokage and quickly checked the register. "Top floor. 12M."

Minato nodded. "Thank you." And was gone.

Arriving at the top floor, he burst into the room and stopped. A woman sat by his student's bed. She stood up in greeting. "Hi."

Minato inclined his head in acknowledgement, and turned his attention to the room's patient.

The silver-haired Jounin appeared to be asleep. Even in his coma, Kakashi's mask remained covering the lower half of his face.

"How is he?"

"He's alive." The woman took a papery breath. "But they say that he's never going to wake up.. they say they're getting no signals from him. I just.." She stopped, unable to continue.

Minato pulled up a seat and sat next to her. "Thank you for caring for him while I was gone."

Letting the Fourth's soothing voice calm her nerves, the woman turned a look at her fellow visitor. "You know.. he talked a lot about his team. He talked a lot about you.. how you helped him cope with his grief when he lost his teammates. When you 'died' that night, he blamed himself for being too weak to do anything." She paused to examine Kakashi's former mentor. "He loves you like a father."

Minato frowned. "How did this happen?"

The woman shook her head. "Uchiha Itachi. They fought and he lost, and he's been like this ever since."

 _It's exactly what happened to Sasuke._ Minato's eyes widened. He stood up, startling the woman from her gloom.

Minato reached into his pocket and retrieved a kunai. "Here take this."  
Stunned, the woman silently took the kunai.

"I'll be back." Without another word, he was gone.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade examined the man bowing before her. "Let me guess. You want me to do something about your comatose student."

"Please."

The medic-nin sighed. He'd probably stay there until she agreed to go with him. Namikaze Minato was one stubborn son of a bitch. "I'll take a look."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Tsunade frowned. "This is worse than what happened to that angsty brat. The damage that Itachi did to his brother was mostly emotional in nature. What he did to your student must have been horrifying. His nerves have been badly damaged. Even if he wakes up, he might have trouble moving."

The woman next to her bit her lips. "Can you do anything for him?"

The Sannin nodded. "I can fix him. It'll take ten days at the very least. I'll have to visit him daily."

Allowing the green glow to fade from her hand, she drew it back and stood abruptly. "Minato. Your son won the bet. I'm staying here. You can bring everyone home now. Don't forget to take my assistant with you."

Minato nodded.

The Sannin smiled. "Your son is amazing you know that?"

Minato grinned. "I'll bring them back." He activated the Flying Thunder God marker he'd placed in the distant town, vanishing from sight.

Tsunade sat back down and studied her recent patient. _They're going to make me Hokage_. The thought hit her like a brick. _What have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Hey, Shizune-san."

The woman nodded. "Namikaze-san."

"Tsunade's already in Konoha."

 _Wait, what?!_ Shizune did a double-take before getting a grasp of what was going on. "Your Flying Thunder God.. it's too much."

Minato chuckled. "I'll take Obito first."

"Wait!" Shizune grabbed his wrist. "Let me finish treating him. It shouldn't be too long."

The Fourth nodded and withdrew his hand. Shizune inspected the Kage slowly.

Minato gazed back at her nervously. "W-what? What's wrong?"

"Namikaze-san. You should take a look at yourself. You look like you just woke up. Have you even had breakfast yet?"

"Now that you mention it.. no." Minato replied honestly. "It's been a long morning."

"I'll bet. Go get yourself fixed up."

"I'll be right back." Minato made his way to the bathroom, pivoting on his feet before entering to spare a look at the dark-haired medic. She'd already turned her attention back to her blind patient. "Thank you. Shizune."

"Huh?" The woman turned her head. "Oh yeah. No problem. Just.. get in there and make yourself presentable. You're a mess."

Minato nodded. "I might take a while."

Shizune unwrapped the cloth around Obito's head. "That's fine. Take your time." She replied without turning. "I'll need you to lie down." Obito grunted and laid back onto the bed.

Minato smiled and shuffled into the restroom.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Jiraiya raised a hand to the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Well.. I'm not going back for a while. I think I'm going to head back to Inazaku.. stop by at the Hotel to say 'Hi' to the family."

The Toad Sage grinned. "I still can't believe your son got Tsunade to go back.. and to become _Hokage_ no less."

Minato nodded. "I'm so proud of him. I'm glad we went on this trip. We managed to sort out a lot of things. I'm.. I'm sorry for threatening the village."

Jiraya shook his head slowly. "I'm glad you were able to look past your hatred. Minato.. I'm proud of you too."

Minato smiled. "You'll be back in time for them to crown her right?"

"Of course!" Jiraiya replied. "She'll be wonderful! I wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"When will I see you again?"

The Sage shrugged. " _Soon_."

 _That doesn't tell me anything.._ The Fourth gave his mentor a deadpan look. "Jiraiya-sensei."

"What did you expect me to say?" Jiraiya laughed and disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving the blonde standing alone at one of the infinite entrances to Konoha's immense forest.


	27. (4) Recovery

Disclaimer: I. Don't. Own. Naruto. Period.

* * *

He opened his eyes and stared at the tiles of a Konoha hospital room. Kakashi burst into tears as relief overwhelmed him. "I'm out.. I'm free.."

"Hatake Kakashi. It took me three whole days to get you to wake up. What the _hell_ happened to you?"

Kakashi calmed and his eyes flitted toward the voice. "I went through hell. It was.. hell. I don't want to talk about it."

"The good part is that it's over. You're awake and you're going to get better." The Sannin plastered a comforting smile on her face. "Try lifting your arm."

The Jounin complied, but only received a dull jolt of pain down his limb. "I can't."

"I thought that might happen." Tsunade sighed. "I'll be able to rebuild your nerves in about.. a week or so. In the meantime, you'll just have to lay there until I can get you moving."

Kakashi frowned at the prospect. "How long was I.. gone?"

"Nine days." Tsunade replied.

"Oh.. that's not so bad." The Jounin made an attempt to sound cheerful.

"Well, I'm glad to see some progress. I'll be back tomorrow." The Sannin stood up and moved toward the hallway. She opened the door. "You can go in now. He's fragile. Be gentle with him." And she was gone.

A purple-haired kunoichi rushed in and began to cry tears of joy. "Kakashi! You're awake! I can't believe it.. she really _can_ work miracles."

"Hey you." The Jounin smiled gently before wincing as the kunoichi grabbed his hand. "Didn't she just tell you to be gentle with me."

The woman shook her head. "I don't care."

"If you keep squeezing my hand, you might do some permanent damage you know." Kakashi chided.

"I'm sorry." The kunoichi softened her grip and sniffed. "I missed you."

"Hey. Me too." The Jounin replied. He paused to examine her face. "You're a lot cuter when you're not crying."

"Shut up." She slapped him in the arm. Kakashi winced and looked up to see none other than his mentor, Namikaze Minato, and his friend, Maito Gai, standing in the background.

"Were you there the whole time?" He asked.

The green man flashed his silver-haired friend a blinding smile. "OF COURSE! What kind of rival would I be if I weren't here to greet you on your return from Hell?! You better get back in shape so that we can continue our YOUTHFUL rivalry, my super _cool_ rival!"

Kakashi fixed his friend with a deadpan look, his voice falling placid. "I can't wait."

Minato chuckled. The relationship between those two hadn't changed a single bit.

-Intermission-

Minato opened the door to his student's hospital room. Kakashi looked up. "Yo, my cute little Minato-sensei! How kind of you to visit."

The Fourth walked over and sat down on the visitor's chair. "Why do you keep calling me that?"

"Last I checked, you _are_ my sensei. How can I not call you by the appropriate title?" Kakashi eye-smiled.

Minato groaned. "Kakashi.. you're giving me a headache.. and I just got here."

Kakashi grinned. "That's what friends are for?"

"You knew what I meant."

"Hmm.." Kakashi sighed loudly. "Well if you must know.. then I guess.. I can tell you."

Minato nodded and waited expectantly.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "You _are_ cute."

Minato rolled his eyes.

Kakashi smiled. "Most people will attest to that."

"And the other?"

Kakashi thought for a moment. "Sensei, how old are you?"

"I'll be thirty-seven in two months. Why?"

Kakashi simply nodded. "And how long have you been officially declared dead?"  
"Twelve and a half years." Minato replied. _I think I know where this is going_.

"And your body was physically unchanged when we found you. Minato-sensei, you are both physically and mentally twenty-four years old." Kakashi paused for effect. "I turn twenty-seven in four and a half months"

Minato sighed in resignation.

"My cute little Jounin-sensei.." Kakashi grinned. "I think you should start calling me 'Kakashi-senpai.'"

Minato laughed. "Never. Remember, I was still Hokage. There's no way you can pull seniority on me."

"Unless I become Hokage."

"Maybe."

Kakashi smiled. "I'm really glad you're back."

"You said that when I was still locked in T&I."

Kakashi nodded. "Can't say it enough."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments.

"Obito's alive."

Kakashi nearly jumped. " _What?!_ "

"I was surprised too. You two need to talk."

The Jounin stared wide-eyed at his mentor and laughed. "Obito's ALIVE?! First you, and now Obito. Just one more and Team Minato will be back!"

"Are you ok?" Minato put a hand on the patient's forehead. "You're not usually this.. excited."

"Are you kidding?! Do you know how much you mean to me? I can't believe this!"

Minato smiled. His student's joy was infectious. "We'll go visit him together after you're healed."

"Yeah." Kakashi nodded. "How is he alive?"

"It's a long story, but he's staying at my place right now." Minato dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I think he's falling in love with Tsunade's apprentice."

"Kato Shizune?" Kakashi's eyes widened. "Isn't she.. older than all of us?"

" _Kakashi._ " Minato rolled his eyes. "I'm _thirty-six_."

The Jounin scoffed. "No you're not, my cute little Minato-sensei."

 _Call me that one more time you patronizing son of a-_ "Hahah. I guess you're right." Minato smiled, cutting off his thoughts. "Well, it's time for me to go. I'll bring Naruto with me tomorrow." He turned to leave.

"Minato-sensei."

"Yes, Kakashi?"

"When you come back, could you buy me.." Kakashi paused to do a quick mental calculation. "Twenty sticks of dango?"

 _Since when did he develop a taste for dango?_ Minato arched a brow. "Sure. I can do that.." He paused at the door. "I thought you hated sweets."

Kakashi shrugged.

When his sensei was gone, Kakashi sank back as comfortably as he could into the hospital bed.

He did hate sweets. It left an aftertaste that made him want to vomit. He did, however, know someone who loved the balls of sugar like a drug. Kakashi considered the consequences of his request. On the one hand, he enjoyed seeing the dango (alias balls-on-a-stick) being sucked with that _distinct_ look of pleasure.

He grinned at the image.

On the other hand, he was encouraging a bad habit. _All that sugar can't be good for her teeth. What if they start falling out?_

Kakashi shivered, refusing his mind to think about it. _We'll worry about that when we get there._

Gritting his teeth, he turned to reach for the Icha-Icha that Minato had discreetly left on the cabinet table for him. His hands twitched uncooperatively. It took him several minutes to finally retrieve the book. He plopped it open on his lap.

 _At least my fingers still kind of work._ He thought as he turned a page. _Damn you Uchiha Itachi._ _Damn your stupid Sharingan too._

-Intermission-

Tsunade sighed. "This is where it gets hard. I'm going to have to tear out some damaged nerves and bump new ones in their place."

Kakashi frowned. _That's sounds painful_. "Anything else?"

"You've got some severe nerve damage kiddo. There's not much more I can say."

"So tomorrow then?" The Jounin asked cheerfully.

"Yup." Tsunade stood up. "We're heading into the last stages of your treatment. I'll see you then."

The Sannin paused at the door and nodded. "You can come in now." She walked out abruptly. Being the newly-appointed Hokage and the most sought after medic in the world kept her on a busy schedule. As she left, a dark-haired kunoichi rushed past her.

Kakashi smiled. "Hi."

His visitor smiled back. "Hey. How're you doing? You gonna be ok?"

Kakashi nodded. "I'll be out in few days. Until then I'm stuck in this bed. They have to change me and collect my urine with bedpans. It's embarrassing to say the least."

The kunoichi nodded and sat in the chair. Kakashi motioned toward the box sitting on the cabinet desk. "Minato-sensei left some dango there. I thought you'd like some."

"How thoughtful of you. And here I came empty-handed." The woman smiled and reached for the box. "Mind if I help myself?"

Kakashi shook his head. "Nope. Go ahead." The woman promptly lifted a stick and slipped it slowly it into her mouth.

"These are perfect!" She sighed happily.

Kakashi smiled. "Mitarashi Anko."

"Hm?" Anko put on an innocent look as she pulled the dango from her mouth. She only got called by her full name if she was about to hear something serious. "What is it?"

"What if your teeth fall out from all the sugar?" Kakashi asked.

Anko grinned, flashing her pearly white teeth. "Are you questioning my dental hygiene?"

Kakashi nodded haphazardly. "Yes.. I suppose I am."

"Well don't. I keep my teeth strong and sparkly. How else would I be able to do this?" At this, Anko took a feral bite, tearing off a large chunk of dango. Her face screamed pleasure. "You should really try one."

Kakashi smiled. "No. I hate sweets."

"No honestly!" The kunoichi brandished her stick of dango. The half-bitten ball at the top glistened in the light. "You can hate sweets, but I swear you'll love dango!"

 _Oh god no._ Kakashi grimaced. "Anko if you come one step closer I'll-"

"You'll what?" The dango-freak challenged with sadistic glee. She climbed atop the immobile Jounin. "Oh come on. Don't tell me Mr. Big-Bad-Merciless-ANBU-Assassin is afraid of some balls on a stick."

Kakashi panicked. "Anko. Remember the last time you tried this-"

"This time will be different!~" The kunoichi practically sang as she tore down Kakashi's face-mask and jammed the stick of dango into his mouth.

Kakashi gagged.


	28. (4) Justice

Disclaimer: I only do these for the spacing. The chapter bar to the right causes the first line of every story to be truncated, making it shorter than the rest. So I write disclaimers to offset that. Call it OCD or whatever. And I have to put "I don't own Naruto" or it wouldn't be a disclaimer otherwise.

* * *

The trip to retrieve Konoha's newest Hokage had taken a mere eleven days, but to Naruto, it felt like a lifetime. In those eleven days, he'd come to know a father and what it was like to be loved by one.

His Dad had taught him an amazing new technique, started him on the basics of creating seals, and a whole lot of other cool stuff. They even had the same summoning contract together. The toads had been absolutely ecstatic to learn that one of their greatest friends who they'd thought long dead was back alive and kicking. They celebrated the occasion the way they always did: with lots and lots of alcohol.

 _I have the best Dad in the world._ Naruto smiled as he closed his eyes against the darkness. _I'm gonna wake up early tomorrow morning to make him breakfast!_

The question was, what did his Dad like to eat?

Naruto's thoughts wandered. They'd just stocked the fridge today so they had a lot of food to work with. _I could just buy take-out_.. Naruto frowned. _Nah. It wouldn't be the same._

 _Maybe I should just ask him_. He sat up. It was already an hour past his bedtime, but he couldn't sleep anyway. Standing, Naruto stretched. He fixed his nightcap and shuffled toward his father's room.

The house was eerily quiet.  
 _What if he's already asleep?_ Naruto paused at the door and hesitated. With a shake of his head, the boy strengthened his resolve and quietly inched the door open. His eyes fell upon the figure of a man sitting up on the edge of the bed. His head hung low and his elbows rested on his knees.

Naruto furrowed his eyes. "Dad?"

Minato looked up, wiped his eyes with an arm and made a bad attempt at a cheery smile. "Hey Naruto. Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

Ignoring the question, Naruto shuffled closer and peered into his Dad's eyes. "Dad. Why are you crying?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not-"

Naruto put his arms around his father and patted him gently on the back. The man choked, his breath hitching in a sob.

"It's OK to cry, Dad. Isn't that what you said?" Suddenly, he felt arms on his back.

Minato squeezed his son close in a tight hug, burying his face and sobbing into the starry-blue nightcap. "Naruto. I miss her - I miss her so much. When I close my eyes, I start to feel her laying next to me, but when I open them to look, she's not there. So I close my eyes and she's by my side again, but when I turn to hold her, there's nothing but empty air. I can't sleep. I can't stand this anymore." His voice broke. "It hurts so much."

Naruto's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. "Are you talking about mom?"

Receiving no response, Naruto continued patting the man's back in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

After several minutes, his dad's voice croaked quietly into his ears. "Your mother, Uzumaki Kushina.. before she died, she wished with all her heart that she could stay with you longer. Even though you were just born, she loved you.. probably more than she loved me." Detaching from his desperate embrace, Minato held his son at arm's length and examined him with a smile. "I would've died just to let her see you again, even if it's only for a few minutes."

Naruto frowned at the thought of his father's death. "Dad don't say that."

"I'm sorry. First Jiraiya-sensei, now you. I never wanted you to see this. I wanted to be the perfect father, but-"

"You _are_ perfect." Naruto cut in. "You're the best dad in the world."

"Naruto." Minato smiled and allowed his son to comfort him. "Thank you."

-Intermission-

"I don't get why you're bringing him dango. He doesn't even eat those. I mean, he'd have to take off his face mask to even eat those. Oh!" Naruto slapped a fist into his other hand in ashow of epiphany. "You're trying to get him to take off his face mask! I see. Heheh dad. You're so smart."

Minato smiled. "That's a good guess, but no. He's the one who asked me to bring them."

Naruto ducked his head in thought. "Dad, you've seen Kakashi without his face-mask right?"

They rounded an avenue and approached the hospital complex.

"Of course." Minato replied. "He can't eat with that thing on. You don't really think he wears that all the time do you?"

Naruto jumped around and began walking backwards. "No. Ok. Here's what happened. Me, Sasuke and Sakura spent a whole day trying to get him to take off his mask, but it never worked. We bought him ramen and he tricked us to look away and then the ramen was gone. And here's the thing. _He never took off his facemask_. And then! And then when we asked him to show us what he had under his facemask, he pulled it off and there was _another_ facemask under it. I swear. I just _gotta_ see what he's hiding. What's he look like?"

"He looks exactly like what you'd expect." His dad replied with a chuckle

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "So.. he _does_ have buckteeth?"

Minato laughed at the image. "No. He doesn't. He's not hiding anything."

Naruto furrowed his brows. "Then why does he wear that mask all the time?"

Minato shook his head. "We're here."

They entered the building. The man at the desk stood up and bowed. "Yondaime Hokage."

Minato nodded back in greeting. "We're just here to visit."

"Of course. Go right on ahead."

As they passed by the desk, Naruto stared the man over slowly. "I still remember what you did to me, Registration-desk-person-san. I bet you didn't think my dad was the Fourth Hokage did you?

He stuck his tongue out.

"What did he do to you?" Minato raised an eyebrow before turning to the flustered man. "What'd you do to my son?"

"What, I, but-" The man bowed deeply. "I'm so very sorry, Yondaime-sama! I-I didn't know any better. Please forgive me!"

The Fourth raised his voice. "I put the Nine-tails in him to allow Konoha to both _survive_ and _prosper._ And you _abused_ him for it. Have you _ever_ considered that my son was the _only thing_ keeping that monster from destroying the village?!"

"I'm so incredibly sorry!" The man grovelled.

People stopped at the sound of his outburst. Minato turned, sweeping his eyes out to the staff and visitors moving in from behind and around the hospital lobby. Many ducked their heads in shame under his withering gaze.

He abruptly recalled his first meeting with his son. Naruto had been crying, his voice filled with pain: ' _Everyone hated me.. like I was some criminal.'_

Minato felt an ugly fire bubble up in his chest. Their expressions of shame - their guilt - were evidence of the stark truth of his son's words. With extreme effort, Minato quelled the worst of his rage. "Every single one of you.." He growled, his self-control failing to keep the bite from his voice. "I gave you my _life_ so that you'd survive. _My wife is dead_ so that our son could live among you in _peace_."

A few people began walking away, shaking their heads at the former Kage's lack of emotional control. _Some Shinobi of the Leaf_ he _turned out to be._

The ones who stayed noticed, to their further shame, that their beloved Fourth Hokage was crying as he chided them, his voice bitter and angry.

"My wife. Kushina.." Tears welled into the Kage's eyes and began trailing down his face. "We could have had so many years together.." the droplets fell unbidden onto the lobby's marble floor. "I didn't even get to watch my son walk his first step or say his first word. And you just trampled all over our sacrifice." The man paused to collect himself before he continued. "You _shame_ me. You shame my village."

Naruto stared up at the Kage in wonder. He'd been dreaming of having someone speak like this his entire life. To have it actually happen was comforting. The boy's heart filled to the brim with love as he watched his father do him justice.

The Fourth shook his head and turned toward the stairs. He hefted his grip on a box of dango with one hand and gently took of his son's hand with the other. "Come on Naruto. Let's go."

"Ok." Naruto replied quietly.

The small group of Konoha citizens were left stunned in their wake.

After they were gone, the man at the desk straightened and cleared his throat. "Well. We can't stand here forever. We've a hospital to run."

The lobby moved into action. Many banded together to discuss the Fourth's recent outburst as they resumed doing whatever they were doing before the interruption.

-Intermission-

Kakashi was _bored_. He'd been lying in the same damned hospital in the same damned room in the _same damned bed_ for nearly a week now. He'd already read the copy of Icha-icha that Minato-sensei brought him the day before over a hundred times. He was _tired_ of that damned book. The girl, 'Akemi-chan', would get together with her 'Doraimon-sama' and they would spend a very detailed afternoon together. Alone. He'd read it so many times he'd memorized the scene word for word.

When was Jiraiya going to release the next damned book?

Kakashi stared wistfully at the book's cover. It was green. The thing brought to mind images of a much-less-appealing person of the same color.

The Jounin frowned. _Akemi-chan wore green too._

His mind continued playing out the scene in his head: Maito Gai wearing a green dress with his Doraimon-sama. In a bedroom. Alone.

The Jounin shivered. "Fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck! _Get the fuck out of my head!_ "

To his great relief, his thoughts were loudly interrupted. Naruto burst in through the door with his father not far behind.

"Yo, my cute little student.." Kakashi smiled. "and my cute little sensei. How nice of you both to visit."

Minato twitched.

Naruto ambled over excitedly. "Kakashi sensei! We brought you a box of dango!"

"Thanks." The Jounin nodded. "Could you put it over there on that table?"

Naruto complied, placing the box carefully before running back to the edge of the bed. "Kakashi-sensei. Can I see what you look like when you're not wearing a mask?"

Kakashi turned a discerning eye onto the hyperactive blonde. "Do you really want to see it that badly?"  
Naruto nodded excitedly.

"No."

"But _why?!_ " The boy whined.

"Because it's more fun making you guess." The Jounin replied with a smile.

Naruto groaned and sat with a pout.

Minato grabbed a chair and sat next to him. The Kage put on a serious face. "Kakashi. Did you know that Naruto was widely abused by the villagers while I was gone?"

The Jounin sighed. _Here it comes._

"What were you doing while that was happening?" Minato asked.  
Naruto crossed his arms and nodded.

"Minato-sensei.. I was a fourteen year old emotional wreck. What did you expect me to do? Drop everything and adopt your kid?"

"No." Minato replied. "But you weren't fourteen forever. You could've at least stood up for him. You _knew_ he was my son."

Kakashi shrugged. "I applied to be his Jounin-sensei when he came of age."

"You couldn't even teach him something as simple as Chakra sprinting." The former Kage bit back accusingly.

"He wasn't ready for it." Kakashi replied. "He has a lot of Chakra, but that doesn't mean he should get into the habit of using it wastefully. If I taught him at that stage, he'd never learn to be able to Chakra sprint at full speed.

"I don't agree." The Fourth stated implacably.

Kakashi sat up. "Look, you're just going to have to trust that I had a good reason for the decisions I've made. I was your son's Jounin-sensei. You were not. Naruto's grown a lot. Seriously. You should've seen him before he graduated. Annoying kid."

" _Kakashi._ "  
"Minato-sensei." Kakashi drawled, brusquely interrupting. "I know you're unhappy about Naruto's childhood. He didn't deserve what the village did to him, but if you weren't so hung up on getting angry about it, you'd realize that your son turned out just fine. You only got here in time to see the results. The past six months since he's graduated from the academy have been the most productive in his life. Jiraiya and I made sure of that. He's strong. He's adapting well to the life of a Shinobi. He has people who care for him. What more could you ask for?"

Minato shook his head angrily as he tried to think of something to contradict his student with. Kakashi was right. Naruto _did_ turn out alright. He sighed. "I still can't just forget that you let the villagers treat my son like trash."

The silver-haired Jounin frowned inwardly. Over the years, he _had_ been trying to help his mentor's son.. in his own way. He'd taken to secretly leaving 'gifts' to the boy every time he'd gotten his mission pay. He'd bought Naruto a set of blue pyjamas, a nightcap, a teddy, and various other things.

Still, his mentor was absolutely right. He hadn't really provided the kid with the social support he'd needed. Kakashi sighed. "You're right."  
Minato nodded. "I will forgive you only on one condition."

Kakashi paused in thought. His sensei wasn't an unreasonable person. "Name it. I'll do it."

Naruto snickered.

"From now on, you're going to stop masking your face." Minato replied.

"No."

"Kakashi. There's no practical reason for you to-"  
"No."

Minato sighed. "I'll think of something else, but for right now, my son wants to see what you look like so you're going to at least show him."

"I can do that." The Jounin replied jovially.

"Yes!" Naruto jumped excitedly and moved to remove the mask. He gaped. "You look.. _normal_."

"What did you expect?"

"But.. but if you look normal, why do you even wear this thing?" Naruto fidgeted with the mask.

Kakashi smiled, showing a set of straight, white teeth. "That would be telling."

* * *

-A/N-

I found a real bunny while I was taking a stroll through the park yesterday. It was an escaped pet rabbit, and it was super adorable. It let me pet it and pick it up and everything. I really liked it, and it cheered me up for awhile. I didn't have the funds to take care of it though, so I let it go. I hope it found its way to a better home.

Anywho, thanks everyone for following up to this point. It warms my heart.

De-hiatus.


	29. (4) Hunted

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I love orange juice. I can drink an entire gallon in a day. I love orange juice.

* * *

"Jiraiya. Thank you for helping put up the repairs."

"It's nothing." The Toad Sage rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "This place really brings back some good memories." He paused to nip an oyster from his bowl. "You're cooking is as good as ever. Yuuko."

"Thank you." The woman smiled. "If only Akio here worked half as hard as you."

"Hey!" Her husband griped. "You keep insinuating that I'm lazy. _I'm not that lazy_. Yuuko. Seriously."

"Yes you are. Just the other day, your daughter fainted on the front desk. She's literally overworking herself while you're out messing around with your 'friends'!"

Jiraiya widened his eyes in concern. "How's Chihiro doing anyway?"

"We're making her take a break." Akio sighed. "Right now, she's looking through employee applications and trying to figure out who she should interview to fill in for her."

He paused to share a look with his wife. "Jiraiya. We have a favor to ask of you."

The Toad Sage finished up the rest of his food and sat back. "Ask away."

"Yuuko is right. Chihiro is working herself to death here. She needs to broaden her horizons. We know you travel a lot. We're wondering if you could take her with you, let her see the world."

"I don't know." Jiraiya replied thoughtfully.

Yuuko frowned. "If it's money you're worried about-"

"No.. It's not the money."

"If it's not the money, then..?"

The Toad Sage sighed. "It's dangerous out there, especially in my line of work. If something were to happen to her, I'd never be able to forgive myself."

"Really now." Akio stood up, his voice taking on a confrontational tone. "You speak as if our daughter were some weak little girl who can't even defend herself. I mean, sure she's not a Shinobi like you, but she's an adult. She knows how to fend for herself. My grandparents put everything they had into starting this place as a bathhouse. Everything has risks. If everyone were to back down at the first sign of danger, nothing would ever get done. Jiraiya, Chihiro needs this. Please."

Yuuko looked up at her husband and smiled. The man really knew how to be persuasive when needed.

Jiraiya frowned before finally relenting. "Does she know about this yet?"

"No." Yuuko shook her head. "She doesn't."

The Toad Sage sighed. "Alright. I'll help do the dishes while the two of you break the news to her."

As they moved their separate ways, Yuuko stopped. "Oh and Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya turned, a stack of plates and utensils in his arms. "Hm?"

"If I find that you've done anything.. unbecoming.. to our daughter, I swear I will hire people to hunt you down."

"Really?" The Sage grinned. "You're going to leave a pretty girl with me and expect me to not do anything? You, of all people, should know me better than that!"

" _Jiraiya!_ " The couple sent identical glares toward the legendary pervert.

"Just kidding." Jiraiya laughed. "I swear I won't touch her." He turned his back and resumed making his way toward the kitchen. The Sage grinned. _Doesn't mean I can't look every now and then._

* * *

Intermission

* * *

The fear in his heart threatened to overwhelm him, and he ran like his life depended on it.

He gulped. _I messed up_ really _bad.._

Behind him, he could hear the sound of his pursuer getting louder and closer.

The boy picked up his pace. _Oh god oh god oh god oh god oh god_.

Impossibly, the sound of his pursuer's voice became _even louder_ , bringing him nearly to his knees. _Oh fuck I messed up. Oh crap. Oh fuck. Oh shit. Oh my god._

" **NAAAAAAARUUUUUUUUUTOOOOOOOOOOO!** "

Naruto trembled as he ducked into an alleyway. There was only one safe place left: home.

Taking a shortcut, the blonde made use of the ANBU evasion skills that he'd developed in his more gutsy pranking days to get away. Everyone always expected him to stupidly head straight home. Naruto pouted at the thought as he took a large detour. _I'm not_ that _stupid_.

He burst through the door to the sight of his dad moving around in the kitchen, the smell of food wafting into his nose.

Minato turned at the noise and smiled in greeting. "Hey Naruto. You're back early. I thought you were going to go see your friend. How'd it go?"  
Naruto shut the door behind him and collapsed onto the dining room chair. "They're having a little bit of a rough time right now." He laughed sheepishly. "I'll go visit them later when they're all OK again."

A sudden knock caused the boy to jump. A muffled voice sounded through the door. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

Minato slid an entree into a large plate. "Naruto, could you get the door?"  
"Sorry dad!" Naruto jumped. "I gotta go use the restroom!"

Minato sighed. Washing and drying his hands quickly, he made his way to the door. Standing outside their apartment was a small, pink-haired girl. The girl bowed. "Yondaime-Hokage sama. Is Naruto home?"

"You must be Sakura."

"Mhm. My name is Haruno Sakura. I'm Naruto's genin teammate." The girl replied.  
 _Haruno.. sounds familiar.._ Minato smiled. "Why don't you come in and take a seat? Naruto should be out shortly."

The girl gave a prim nod. "Your apartment's really nice."

"Thank you." The former Kage stopped. "Oh! I remember now! Sakura-chan, I met your parents a couple weeks ago! Haruno Mebuki and Haruno Kizashi right?"

"Yes."

Minato beamed. "They were really nice. I should invite them over some time. We need to get to know each other."  
"Well," Sakura sighed. "I'm actually here because Naruto pulled a really bad prank on them. I just want to take him back so that he can apologize for what he did."

Plastered to the bathroom walls on the other side of the apartment, Naruto began to sweat profusely.

Minato offered the girl a cup of tea which she took cordially. "Tell me about it."

* * *

Flashback

* * *

Naruto smiled as the door opened. "Hi Sakura-chan! I'm back!"

The pink-haired kunoichi looked her teammate over steadily, her voice oddly strained. "Naruto. Have you met my parents?"

"Umm.." The blonde frowned in thought. "No. I don't think so."

The kunoichi smiled. A chord of fear shivered down Naruto's spine. _Oh god. I know that smile._

"Oh really, because I'm pretty sure they introduced themselves to you before you left for your 'training trip'. _MOM! DAD! Can you come here for a second?_ "

 _Introduced themselves to me.. before I left. Who?_ Naruto rummaged through his head. Tidbits of memory came to him in small increments.

A voice came from inside the house. "Sakura, what is it?" The voice stopped. " _You._ "

Sakura smiled. "Meet my parents. Haruno Kizashi and Haruno Mebuki."

Naruto gulped.

* * *

 **Flashback Inception**

* * *

 _I hope they enjoy what I have in stock for them_. The original smiled and left as his clone made its way toward the couple. The clone quickly ducked back into an alleyway and made more clones of itself. Each clone then transformed into either medical Shinobi or civilians, leaving ten clones who turned themselves into the walls, ceilings and curtains of a booth. The medic-clones set up the booth in the Konoha market. The lead clone rubbed his hands together. _This is what they get for lying to me_.

The civilian clones lined up in pairs of two into the booth. A few passersby stopped to ask what the booth was for. One of the medic-clones, a female, smiled. "We're inspecting for infection. There's been an outbreak. It's a public health issue."

A few civilians began to join the line. Inside the booth, five medic-clones clones shared a quiet giggle. As people cycled in, the lead-medic put a hand on their heads and nodded. "You're healthy. You may go."

When the Haruno couple finally entered the booth, the lead medic put his hand on the head of one then the other. He frowned. "I'm getting some dangerous readings. We'll need to further check you. You're going to have to take off all your clothes."

Kizashi's face scrunched up. " _WHAT?!_ "

The medic shook his head. "It's part of the procedure. Don't make us use force. This is a _very_ dangerous virus we're talking about. I'm sorry if this troubles you, but it is necessary."

The couple stared back into the hard eyes of the seasoned-looking medic. With a sigh, they reluctantly complied.

The medic-clone nodded. "Thank you." The other clones walked up and poured water onto the couple's bodies.

Mebuki yelped. " _What are you doing?!"_

The lead medic-clone smiled and disappeared in a puff of smoke. The medic was replaced by none other than the village prankster. The Naruto clone stuck out his tongue and vanished

Kizashi's eyes widened. " _What the fuck?!_ "

They were suddenly enveloped by a massive poof of smoke. When the smoke cleared, the booth, the medics and the couple's clothes were all gone. There was nothing left but a couple of shrubs left on the ground for the couple to use to keep whatever decency they had left.

Kizashi grit his teeth. "I _hate_ that kid so much."

Mebuki nodded. "I know Kizashi. I know."

* * *

 **End Flashback Inception**

* * *

Before he could hear them say anymore, the blonde did what he'd always done when he was caught pranking.

He ran.

* * *

End Flashback

* * *

Minato stood up. "I'll go get him. Wait here."

The former Kage put on a stern face. He could sense his son eavesdropping nearby, his massive Chakra reserves a beacon to any sensor-nin. "Naruto. Come out."

The boy rolled slowly around the corner, a look of fear stamped on his face.

"You're going to go back with your teammate and you're going to apologize to her parents. If they have any punishments for you, you are to take it. Come to me if there are any further problems. _Do I make myself clear?_ "

"Yes Dad." Naruto ducked his head in shame. This was the first time his dad had ever reprimanded him seriously.

"Thank you. Sorry for bothering you." Sakura turned to the former Kage and bowed before turning her attention back to her errant teammate. "Naruto. Let's go."

The blonde prankster nodded glumly.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Seriously, why do you always have to mess around? Pranking is not nice. You should treat people with more respect. Why can't you be more like Sasuke?"

Naruto looked down at his toes. "I'm sorry."

Sakura sighed. "Save it for my parents. They're the victims here."

"Wait!"

Sakura jumped in surprise. "What? What happened?"

"Sasuke! He's gone!"

His teammate frowned, her voice becoming dejected. "I know. We haven't been able to find him for over ten days now."

"No! You don't understand! Sasuke was with us while we were away!"

Sakura looked up in surprise. "What?!"

"My dad says he's gone travelling. He says he's not coming back until he's found his brother."

The kunoichi glared angrily at her teammate. "Why didn't you stop him?!"

"I couldn't." Naruto replied quietly. "I just couldn't."

"Did you even _try?!_ "

Naruto nodded, his voice becoming small. "He says he'd leave even if he had to crawl."

Sakura stopped the next biting remark that jumped to the tip of her tongue as she realized something that she should've known a long time ago. _Naruto cares about him. Almost as much as I do_.

The kunoichi chided herself inwardly for her insensitivity and pulled her teammate into a small embrace. "Sorry for yelling at you."

"No." Naruto broke the embrace. "I know how much you like him." The blonde's face turned up in a snarl. "He called your relationship a _child's game_. He says that he doesn't care about any of us. That _bastard_. He's such a liar! I can't believe-"

"That's not true. Naruto." Sakura stared, devastated into the distance as she began to register her teammate's words. " _That's not true_. That's _not_ what he told me." She stopped and grit her teeth in an effort to keep the tears in her eyes from falling out. Suddenly, the kunoichi ran, leaving her teammate to run after her from behind.

"Sakura-chan! Wait!"

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

I ship things. I pick them up. I put them together. I send them off in a bundled package. Shippity-shippity-ship.


	30. (4) Sins

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I am extremely lactose intolerant. I love milk and Honey Nut cheerios. Terrible combo isn't it? TAT

* * *

Sakura ran all the way to her room and shut the door, leaving Naruto to talk to and apologize to her parents by himself.

"Kid.." Sakura's father sighed. "What are we going to do with you?"

"You don't do anything to our Sakura do you?!" The mother piped in.

Naruto shook his head vehemently. "I would never do anything to Sakura-chan!"

Mebuki put her hands on her hip. "Then _why_ do you do things to random strangers?! You _brat_."

The blonde ducked his head in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Come on now." Kizashi put a hand on his wife's shoulder. "He's just a kid. Kids make mistakes."

The woman gave the boy before her a disparaging glare. " _Fine!_ But you're going to ask your father to invite us over." -she smiled sweetly- "we should get to know each other better."

Naruto nodded. "Ok."

"Well then, you may go."

The boy gave one more bow of apology and ran off.

Kizashi turned toward his wife. "You just want everyone to see that we're friends with the Fourth Hokage don't you?"

Mebuki rolled her eyes. "What's wrong with that?"

-Intermission-

"That's the last of your treatment." The Fifth stood up. "You're going to be twitching for a while, but it should subside in a few days. You've been a good patient, Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded. "Thank you, Tsunade-sama. I'm grateful for what you've done for me."

"Don't worry about it. It's part of the job." Tsunade smiled as she turned to leave. "Tell Minato to come see me when you visit him. We have important matters to discuss."  
"I will." The Jounin bowed.

"Tell him to bring his son too. I kind of miss seeing that kid."

Kakashi nodded.

The Kage turned to her ANBU guards. "Let's go."  
"Yes, Godaime-sama."

They shut the door behind them, leaving him alone in the room.

He quickly tore off his green hospital gown with a frown of distaste. _I'm never wearing this again_. Tossing the gown into the hamper nearby, he put on the standard Jounin attire that'd been left for him nearby. His limbs twitched involuntarily as he pulled them into the uniform's shirt sleeves. For the three hundred and ninety-sixth time since he'd woken from his coma, the Jounin cursed the name of the man who caused him to suffer like this. _Uchiha Itachi. You sadistic fucker._

He gave the man at the front desk a cheery wave as he left the hospital. The clear blue skies of the Leaf village had never seemed more beautiful. Kakashi grinned. _I'm free!_

He leapt to the rooftops, speeding his way toward his mentor's apartment and knocking fervently at the door on arrival.

' _I'll get it!'_ A muffled voice rumbled through the wall and the door was flung open. "Kakashi-sensei!"

The Jounin stared into the apartment from the doorway. "Minato-sensei. You've been hugging him a lot haven't you?"

The former Kage smiled. "Maybe?"

"You clearly have." Kakashi slowly plucked the arms off from around him. "He's picking up your habits."

"What?" Naruto pouted. "What's wrong with hugging?"

"Nothing. I don't like to be hugged." The Jounin replied evenly. "So are you just going to make me stand out here or are you going to invite me in?"

"Oh. Sorry." Naruto grinned sheepishly and grabbed his sensei's hand. "Come on. Sakura's here. Her parents are here too."

"I can see that." The Jounin gave a small wave. "Kizashi-san. Mebuki-san."  
The couple nodded, greeting him in return. The woman smiled. "We hope you're feeling better. Sakura told us about your condition. Come sit. Minato here is _really_ good at cooking."

"I know." Kakashi replied. "He practically raised me." As he approached the table, he moved toward the figure of a dark-haired man that had been sitting with his back turned to the door.

The Jounin slowly pulled back the empty chair next to him and sat. A plate of steamy rice, unagi and tea had already been prepared for him.

"We've been expecting you." Minato announced from across the table. "And I owe you an expensive bottle of Sake."

Kakashi took the offered bottle. His mentor smiled. "Congratulations on your recovery."

"Glad to be back." He turned to face the man sitting at his side. "Obito."

The man nodded. "Kakashi."

Kakashi grinned, failing to contain his excitement. "I can't believe this. You're _alive._ "

"I am."

" _How?!_ Where've you been? What happened to your eyes?"

Obito shook his head. "Food first. We'll discuss this later."

"You're going to have to tell me everything." His teammate said cheerfully as he picked up his pair of chopsticks.

"I will." The Uchiha replied quietly.

Across the table, Naruto was talking loudly to Sakura, who was being slightly overwhelmed by her teammates loud gestures.

The kunoichi wiped her face slowly.

Minato sighed. "Naruto. Don't talk with your mouth full."

The boy swallowed. "Ok dad!"

-Intermission-

"It's been great having you."

Haruno Mebuki bowed. "No-no! The pleasure is ours, Minato! You don't mind if I call you Minato right?"

Minato shook his head.

To her side, Kizashi gave a similar bow. "Don't forget to come over next weekend. It would be unbecoming for us not to invite you over after being treated like this today." His wife gave a nod of approval as he turned down to his daughter. "Say goodbye, Sakura."

 _They treat me like a kid._ Sakura frowned inwardly as she smiled. "Yondaime-sama" - she bowed - "thank you for having us." She straightened, letting her smile drop. " _Naruto! Your dad is right! You need to stop talking with your mouth full. BAKA!_ " She turned with a harumph and stomped off. Her parents sighed and moved to follow.

Minato closed the door. Naruto was practically in tears. "Sakura-chan… she hates me.."

"That's not true." Minato pulled his son into a soft embrace. "She wouldn't yell at you if she didn't care. You _did_ spit a lot of food in her face though. Be more careful next time?"

Naruto beamed. "I will."

His dad stood up and smiled. "Let's go. The Fifth Hokage wants to see us. We wouldn't want to be late."

Kakashi sneezed in the living room.

"Alright!" Naruto jumped. "Let's go see what the old hag wants! I bet it's a cool mission!"

" _Kakashi! Obito! We'll be back!_ " Minato pulled the door open and left the apartment with Naruto trailing behind him.

-Intermission-

"Obito. Your eye.. Do you know what they call me?" The Jounin smiled, not waiting for a response. "' _Kakashi of the Sharingan_ ', copy-nin and user of a thousand jutsus. It's funny. I really only copied four hundred, but who's keeping track anyway?"

The Jounin paused to examine his long-lost teammate and friend. Obito sat quietly.

"Obito. What's wrong?" -Kakashi put a hand on his teammate's shoulder- "I'm talking more than you are. That's scary. I never talk more than you."

"Kakashi. I.." The Uchiha's voice wavered.

"I know. You've missed me. I missed you too." Kakashi laughed. "That's so weird coming from me right? I never miss anyone. The last time you saw me, I was that 'heartless bastard' who didn't care about anything or anyone."

He stared into the pits that were his teammate's eyes and made out tears forming in the man's empty sockets. "Hey. If it's about your eyes, well.. the one you gave me has done a lot for me over the years. I'm giving it back to you. I don't need it anymore."

" _Kakashi, stop._ " Obito finally succumbed to his tears, letting them pour rapidly down his face. "You don't know what I've done."

"Then tell me."

"Uchiha Madara.. he saved me. He taught me everything I know now. When I recovered, he took me to the battlefield. When I arrived I saw your hand in her body.. I saw Rin die."

The Jounin's eyes widened.

"It _changed_ me. I blamed the Leaf for her death. I blamed the Shinobi system for her death. I blamed _you_."

Kakashi hung his head. "I'm sorry.. I couldn't protect her."

" _You don't understand_. I was the one.. I was the one who tore the Nine-tails out and used it to attack the village. I was the one behind the Uchiha Massacre. I manipulated the clan into planning rebellion. The Leaf was forced to wipe them out. _It was all me._ "

Kakashi froze in shock. "Obito.."

The Uchiha turned away from his teammate's voice. "I'm sorry."

Their conversation ended with a long, gaping silence.

"Sorry?" The Jounin laughed, breaking the tension. "Sorry doesn't cut it. Obito. You killed _thousands_ of innocent people. _What the hell were you thinking?!_ "

"I'm sorry." The blind-man whimpered. He'd half-expected this reaction, but to have it actually happen, coming from someone who he'd considered his closest friend, still hurt him deeply.

Kakashi stood up. "I can't believe this. Obito. Minato-sensei knows doesn't he?"

The Uchiha nodded silently, his tears falling into his lap.

Kakashi's sighed. "Minato-sensei may have been able to forgive you, but what you've done.. Rin _died_ for the village. You spat on her death. You spat on everything you believed in. You caused more pain than the village has ever suffered since its creation."

"Kakashi-"

"You should be in T&I. You don't deserve to be here." The Jounin noted calmly and brusquely began walking away.

Obito desperately raised a hand at the sound of his former teammate's departure. "Kakashi wait!"

Kakashi stopped. _Obito…_ "Why did you do it?"

The Uchiha paused to collect his thoughts. "Madara told me that he'd cast an eternal illusion of bliss over the world, but he needed the power of the Ten-tails to do it. The illusion, the Eternal Tsukuyomi, is also described on an ancient Uchiha tablet. _Kakashi._ I just wanted the world to stop fighting. I wanted to be together with you and Rin again. I wanted to stop all this _pain_ that is happening everywhere."

"Obito." Kakashi wavered but managed to hold himself steady. "You fucking idiot. Don't you think Madara could've been _lying?_ "

"But the tablet-"

"Don't you think he could've messed with the tablet too? An eternal illusion of bliss.. what a _joke_."

" _Kakashi._ " Obito snarled. "I've already developed several similar prototypes of the technique.. The Infinite Tsukuyomi-"

" _Obito_." Kakashi snarled back. _Can't you tell I'm looking for a reason to forgive you?!_ "Don't you think it's a little too convenient that you arrived on the battlefield only just in time to see Rin die? Don't you think it's just a little too convenient that Madara found _you_ \- an Uchiha, saved you and made you do everything he wanted done?"

"But I-"

Kakashi laughed. "You're a fucking idiot. I'm leaving."

"To where?"

"To visit Rin and get some quiet."

After a slam of the front door, Kakashi was gone, leaving his former teammate sitting alone in the apartment.

-Intermission-

"Obito, where'd Kakashi go?"

"..."

"Obito?"

"Minato-sensei. I'm leaving."

"Leaving?" Minato frowned. "Leaving where? You have nowhere to go."

"To right the wrongs I've done." The Uchiha stood up.

"Obito, you can't even see. Stay."

"Minato-sensei." Obito turned to face the sound of his mentor's voice. "I already told you. Madara did a lot of things to my body. I can use all five elements of Chakra in addition to both Yin and Yang releases. I'm not as good as you are, but I'm a sensor too. I don't have to see to be able to move. I need you to remove all the seals you've placed on me."

The Fourth sighed. "You know I can't do that."

"Sensei, _please_. _Trust me on this_."

Minato's voice fell quiet. "How can I? After all you've done. You need to stay put. Just live with us in peace."

" _Minato-sensei!_ " Obito yelled, rage and grief boiling over into his voice. "I can fix _everything_. You need to let me do this. _Please_. I won't betray your trust. You need to let me redeem myself. I.. I don't think I can let myself live knowing what I've done. I've already told you everything I know. If you won't do this for me, you may as well kill me now."

"Obito.." _What brought this on?_ The Fourth stared at his former disciple in thought. "What did Kakashi tell you?"

"He told me the truth." Obito replied. "I'm a criminal. I should be locked up in Torture and Interrogation. I don't deserve to live here in peace."

" _Damnit Kakashi.._ " The former Kage swore.

" _Sensei_. Kakashi's right. Kill me. Or let me go."

Minato sighed. Obito had indeed told him everything. It was clear that his student had been manipulated.. and in the worst ways. He couldn't do it. Not while knowing the person this man used to be. "It'll take me about ten minutes to remove all the seals I put on you. That Flying Thunder God isn't going away though."

"I understand."

* * *

-A/N-

Journey, is one of - if not _the_ \- most artistic games I've ever seen. I heavily suggest you spend that two hours of your time to watch the full playthrough online OR if you have a PS3, buy it and play it yourself. It's a PS3 exclusive.

Amazing game. Can't praise it enough.


	31. (4) Betrayal

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I've taken a liking to Dole's Paradise Blend. I drink juice like alcoholics drink alcohol. Mmmmmmmm. Juice!

* * *

The first thing that he did - as Tobi, Guruguru and Obito's personal Zetsu - was panic. The second thing he did was find black Zetsu and break the news to him.

Blackie was furious. " _Obito was kidnapped?_ "

Tobi cowered. "Y-yes."  
Whitie, on the other hand, was more mocking than angry. He grinned. "Tobi, Tobi, Tobi. You really fucked up this time."

Tobi gave an inward sigh of relief. He was glad that Black Zetsu was always fused together with the white one. Whitie was always more understanding and made scoldings less scary just by being there.

Blackie was not amused. "Alright you useless sack of cells, do you at least have an idea _who_ did it, _where_ he is, or _why_ he was taken?"

Tobi flinched. Although he'd been awake when it'd happened, he hadn't been paying attention. It had all happened so fast. One second Obito was screaming, the next he was gone.

" _Well? Do you?_ "

"N-no."

"I give you three days." Blackie's rage was so thick, it was palpable. "If we don't find him by then, I'm going to have you destroyed and create a new partner for him.

Without another word, Tobi melted into the ground to begin his search.

White Zetsu smirked. "Ah-ah. He's gone. You really didn't have to be so harsh on him. He tries his best you know."  
"Without Obito, it would be nearly impossible to complete the Eye of the Moon. We are to head to each of the hidden villages. If his Chakra isn't concealed or suppressed, we should be able to sense him.' The Zetsu began sinking into the ground.

"Who put _you_ in charge?"

The black half snarled. " _Don't. Question me._ "

"Ok, ok." White Zetsu frowned. "Sheesh."

-Two days later-

" _Did you find him_?" The voice scraped into his ears.

Tobi shook his head.

Whitie grinned. "Well, you have one more day. You better get to it, or my partner here is going to tear you apart."

Tobi nodded his swirl-patterned face and vanished. The fact that they hadn't found him by now meant that Obito was either dead or heavily confined. Tobi wasn't going to report back because Tobi probably wasn't going to find him. Tobi was going to run. Tobi was a good boy, but he wasn't suicidal.

After letting his partner seethe for a few moments, White Zetsu spoke. "What if he doesn't come back?"  
" _What do you mean._ "

"I mean.. with you threatening his life and all, he might just decide to.. you know.. disappear."  
" _Then good riddance_."

White Zetsu sighed. "He knows all of our secret plans and locations ya know. If he defects.."

" _..._ "

"Oy, hello? Anyone home?"

Black Zetsu began to shake. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER?!"

"Cuz your so angry all the time and I thought-"

"YOU WORTHLESS SPAWN OF SHINJU!"

The White half cringed. _Madara's Will? Him? I don't think Madara was_ that _stupid._

-Intermission-

Tobi cowered in the middle of a desert cave for fifteen days. He didn't need sleep, eat or rest. He could've stayed there forever.

On the fifteenth day, he stood up and stretched, speaking aloud to himself. "I might as well get stronger. Who knows when they'll find me. I'll need to be able to defend myself. Hmmm.. what to do.. what to do. AH!" Tobi clapped his hands together. "I know where I can get my hands on some Sharingan. Those'll definitely make me stronger."

During the Uchiha Massacre, Obito had carefully collected the eyes from the hundreds of Uchiha corpses littering the compound. He'd then stored these eyes in a secret facility, somewhere only he - and by extension, Tobi - knew about.

Tobi sent a prayer up to his former partner. _Thank you, Obito!_

After several more minutes of thought, Tobi melted into the ground toward the hidden room. The place was stacked from wall to wall with glass containers. Each container was filled a special fluid substance within which the dead Uchiha's eyes were held. Under each container was a label marking the name of the eyes' former owners and the level of Sharingan they had reached.

Tobi walked along, examining each catalogue. "Not a single Mangekyou. What did I expect?"

A voice suddenly sounded from behind him. "Tobi."

Tobi yelped. _I've been caught!_ Before he realized who the voice belonged to. Tobi let relief wash over him. "Obito! Where've you _been_?!"

The Uchiha sighed. "I've been kidnapped."

"No really?!" Tobi turned toward his friend. "I would've never guessed. What happened?"

"My eyes were torn out by the Fourth Hokage. He put his Flying Thunder God seal on me that night we fought him." Obito explained. "I never expected him to come back to life."

Tobi's voice became incredulous. "He just beat you?! Just like that?!"

Obito nodded. "He also put over a hundred seals on my Chakra and higher motor functions. It took me several weeks, but I finally convinced him to let me go." The Uchiha smirked. "He's stupidly sentimental like that."

Tobi blew a sigh of relief. "Man oh man! Blackie was going to _destroy_ me. I'm so glad you're back."

"Yes. And our plans are unchanged." Obito replied. "I'll need you to implant a pair of Sharingan into my head. The ones by Uchiha Nojiko should fit me well."

Tobi cheered. "Aye sir!"

-Intermission-

"Tobi. Since I no longer have my Kamui, you'll have to be the one to transport me to places I need to go. And right now you're going to take me to Zetsu."

"Awe man." Tobi griped. "You'll speak for me right? Tell him to not destroy me and replace me with someone else?"  
Obito nodded. "I will."

"Ok then." Tobi replied reluctantly and enveloped his friend into his white body before sinking into the ground.

-Intermission-

"The Yellow Flash is going to be a problem. Obito. How much does he know about our plans?"

"He knows of the Eye of the Moon." Obito replied. "For him to release the seals he placed on me, I needed his sympathy. The revelation about my motives behind the plan earned me his trust. I was lucky that Namikaze Minato is a sentimental man. If it were anyone else, Hatake Kakashi, for example, I would've been locked up and my mind infiltrated. We were very lucky indeed."

"That's good. That's very good. We're recovering nicely. The Fourth will soon be a non-problem. We already have several Akatsuki members hidden among the Iwa assassins to.. _aid_ them on their mission." Black Zetsu paused, his voice taking on a sad tone. "These Iwa Shinobi are so easily manipulated. Always too willing to seek revenge."

Tobi made an attempt to stifle a fake yawn. Blackie was _boring_.

Ignoring the plant-man's impudence, the Black figure continued. "And Konoha will be just as willing to fight back. Fools, the lot of them. The more they fight, the more their enmity will grow before they reach uneasy peace, which will eventually be broken again. History repeats itself. No matter what people like Senju Hashirama think, there is and never will be an end to the conflict. There is only the Eternal Tsukuyomi. It is the salvation that the Uchiha can provide to the world."  
"Yes. Fools like Namikaze Minato." Obito bowed his head. "Truly.. I pity them."

* * *

-A/N-

Yay. Go Team Evil! :D


	32. (4) Reasoning

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.. or Chihiro. I wear weights around my arms and legs when I'm at home.. kind of like the ones Rock Lee wears. It's the lazy way to work out. And it's surprisingly effective. ^-^

* * *

"You.." Kakashi's voice was flat. "you let him go…"

Minato closed his eyes. "I did."

"You let this dangerous man - someone who's committed some of the worst crimes in history and slaughtered thousands of people - walk off. Just like that."

"Kakashi, I know what you're thinking, but-"

"Have you even considered the risk you're taking? Think about what he's done. What if he goes back to doing what he's been doing for the past fourteen years?" Kakashi stared pointedly at the blonde in front of him. "Minato-sensei. You've just put the well-being of our entire village in jeopardy. Consider that for a moment."

Minato furrowed his brows. "The pain and regret that I heard in his voice.. it was real. I just know it."

 _Are you seriously that stupid?_ Kakashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes."There's this thing called acting. Ever heard of it? Pretty common among villains too, I might add."

The Fourth shook his head. "I trust him."

Kakashi pointed his eyes at the ceiling. "Just like you trusted the village to respect your son after your sacrifice. How did that go?"

" _Kakashi. Don't. Go there_."

"It doesn't matter." The Jounin shrugged. "There's no point dwelling on the past. What matters now is for you to promise to help capture and subdue him. Kill if necessary. No more of this mercy business."

"Kakashi. He threw his life away for you. Give him a chance. Do this as a favor to him.. to _me_.. for leaving my son to years of neglect. You owe this to us at the very least."

Kakashi stared into his mentor's pleading face. "I'll need some time to think about this."

"Kakashi-"

"Minato-sensei." The Jounin interrupted. "Don't you think I want to believe him just as much as you do? But considering what he's done.."

Minato put a hand on his former student's shoulders. "Kakashi. Trust me."

Kakashi sighed. "I wish I could."

-Intermission-

Tsunade slapped the report onto the desk and stood up, the table trembling under the weight of her hands. "You're telling me that this man was behind both the Uchiha Massacre _and_ the Nine-tails invasion? And he's not in T &I why?!"

Jiraiya raised his hands in a placating motion. "Tsunade-hime. He's his former student. You know how he is. Minato has undying faith in humanity. It's just the way he was raised."

The Hokage laughed mirthlessly. "And you're the one who raised him. You and your stupid ideals of peace and understanding. This man - this _Uchiha_ \- has shown that he's got no qualms slaughtering thousands of innocent people. He _clearly_ bears a grudge against the Leaf and your student, that _idiot_ blonde, just let this _criminal_ into our village to _live_ with him? Do you have _any_ idea what this could mean?! That man is _dangerous_." The Kage sat back into her chair and began kneading her eyes. "I'm getting too damned old for this... I can't believe I just said that."

Jiraiya withheld a smile, knowing full well that it'd bring nothing but his teammate's wrath. Instead, he sighed. "Minato has him under control. With all those seals put on him, he's not going anywhere. Look. Whatever happens, at least we now know everything about the Akatsuki. We know their goals. We know who their leader is, and we know where they are based."

"How do we even know this information is reliable?"

Jiraiya shrugged. "He could've been lying about Uchiha Madara, but I know that Nagato and Konan are real. They were the ones I stayed to teach during the second war. I'm going to head to Ame. I need to talk to them. They're my students after all. I'm sure they'll listen to what I have to say. I know I can set things straight."

The Hokage frowned. "And what if you can't? If something were to happen to you.."

Jiraiya grinned. "Are you finally admitting that you've got feelings for me?"

"Jiraiya." Tsunade rolled her eyes. "This is a serious situation we're discussing here."

The Sage's grin melted. "If that happens, I'll have Minato hightail me out of there. I'm taking him with me. Trust me on this."

At this point, Shizune, who had been standing behind her Kage the entire time, spoke her piece. "Tsunade-sama. He's right. Even though we're dealing with the most dangerous criminal organization on the continent, it wouldn't hurt to try for diplomacy. Besides, Jiraiya is strong. He'll be fine."

"I know." The Kage replied. "It's just.. I'm worried. Jiraiya. If anything happens, you get out of there immediately, understand?"

"I understand." The Sage nodded seriously. "Oh and one more thing. There's someone I'd like you to look after while I'm gone."

"Who?

"She's my newest underling. Her parents wanted me to take her with me on my travels, but you know as well as I do that that's not possible. Maybe if I took a break and had some free time.."

The Kage laced her fingers together. "What do you want me to do with her? Keep in mind, I'm a busy woman. I don't have time to babysit people for you."

Jiraiya shrugged. "Train her. Have someone show her around the village. I don't know. Keep her occupied.. at least until I get back."

"I'll see what I can do. Where is she now?"

"She's waiting outside."

The Kage nodded. "Bring her in."

-Intermission-

Naruto burst in through the door with a huge grin on his face. "Tsunade Baa-chan! What cool mission do you have for us?"

The Kage's voice became strained as she reigned in her temper. "You little _shit_. Minato, what happened to teaching your _brat_ some manners?"

Minato smiled. Ero-sennin, Tsunade-baachan.. he thought his son's denominations were kind of cute. "I'm sure he'll grow out of it."

"He'd better."

Naruto grinned. "Never."

Tsunade twitched. "You're lucky I'm not in the mood for this today, you little _shit_. I do in fact have a mission for you. Minato, Jiraiya tells me that he's taking you on an infiltration mission into Ame to _talk_ to some of his former disciples. Are you aware of this?"

The former Kage nodded. "I am. We're leaving today."

"Then I won't need to debrief you. Consider this an S-ranked mission. Be careful."

"I will."

Naruto smiled excitedly "Ne, ne. Baachan! Do you have a cool mission for me too?"

"That depends." The female Kage smirked. "If you think C-rank escort missions are cool" -Naruto's smile vanished into a pout- "Shizune. Call her in."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Naruto's eyes widened as his client walked in through the door. "AAH!" -He stabbed a finger into the air- "HOTEL-NEECHAN!"

 _Hotel.. nee-chan?_ Chihiro grimaced inwardly.

Tsunade rolled her eyes. _This kid.._

"My name's Ogino Chihiro. I'm told I'd be staying with you for a while." Chihiro bowed politely. "Please take care of me."

Tsunade nodded her approval at the introduction. "She's your client. Incidentally, she's also Jiraiya's newest student."

"Ero-sennin's teaching you?!" Naruto gaped.

Tsunade bore her eyes into the genin's blue ones. "Interrupt me one more time you little _shit_ and I'll give you D-rank babysitting missions for the rest of your career."

Naruto shut his mouth quickly. "Mkay, Buh-chun." He muffled through clamped lips.

Tsunade resisted the urge to smile. This kid was just too _adorable_. Ignoring her thoughts, she continued. "Jiraiya's the one who's paying for the escort. You're to be Chihiro's guide around the village and" -the Kage shrugged- "I don't know. Discuss any commonalities you have with regard to that hopeless perv. You will be notified when your mission is to be terminated. You're also to send in a report every two days about your progress. Any questions?"

Naruto shook his head, his lips still clamped shut.

"Good, here's your pay in advance and a scroll with more details about your mission."

Naruto walked up to take the scroll. "Thanks, Baa-chan!"

Tsunade nodded. "Now get out of here, brat. Your mission starts now."

The blonde jumped and began to tug excitedly at his client's hand. "Come on, nee-chan! I know lots of awesome places we can go to! Let's go!"

"Wait!" Chihiro frowned as she was pulled out the door.

Minato smiled at his son's antics. "Naruto be gentle with her!"

"Ok Dad!" Naruto's voice carried loudly down the hall.

After a few more moments of loud tussling, they were gone.

Tsunade turned her attention back to the man before her. "Minato. If you leave your son an orphan again, I swear I'll beat you to a pulp in the afterlife. Don't you _dare_ die on him."

"I won't. Will that be all, Tsunade-sama?"

The Hokage sat in thought for a moment before giving the former Kage a pointed look. "You were Hokage once. I hope you know what you're doing with that student of yours."

Minato nodded. "I know what I'm doing. I hope the information he's provided has been satisfactory."

"That remains to be determined." Tsunade replied. "You're dismissed."

"Tsunade-sama." Minato bowed and disappeared.

The Hokage sat back and sighed. "Shizune, I want Danzo in my office as soon as possible. Could you arrange that?"

"Sure." The dark-haired woman collected her notes. "May I ask why?"

"It's about the Uchiha Massacre and some of the other things he's done over the years. Just tell him that there's something extremely important that I want to discuss with him in private."

"OK. I'll go send someone to get him." Shizune bowed. "Good luck with the paperwork, Tsunade-sama!"

Tsunade scowled. " _Tch!_ Being the Hokage sucks."

* * *

-A/N-

So I just saw this thing where Kakashi was actually unmasked in an official Naruto databook some time back in April (2-3 months ago). Apparently he has a small mole on the bottom right side of his chin.. whatever. *-*


	33. (4) Eviction

Disclaimer: I own Naruto. How I wish I could just leave it at that. I don't really own Naruto. Please don't take down my story.

* * *

"Hokage-sama" The old man bowed, his single eye gazing sharply into that of Konoha's fifth Kage. As he straightened, his eye flicked toward the Hokage's dark-haired assistant. "I heard you requested a.. _private_ audience with me."

"She will stay to observe and record our proceeding." Tsunade replied evenly. "She's my most trusted advisor and confidante."

Danzo's shot a sharp gaze at the Kage's 'most trusted confidante'. "As you wish. What do you need of me, Hokage-sama?"

"Danzo. What do you know about the Uchiha Massacre?"

 _Why is she asking?_ The old warhawk paused. "It was an unfortunate incident. Yes. Very unfortunate. Who knew that Uchiha Itachi would've turned out to be such a traitor? The utter _incompetence_ of the village is simply astounding. If I were Hokage-"

" _Danzo._ " Tsunade slammed a clenched fist into her desk. "I will _not_ abide your insolence. You _will_ tell me the truth now or I _swear_ I'll have Ibiki tear the information out of your twisted head. _What do you know about the Uchiha Massacre?_ "

Danzo narrowed his eye. "Who gave the secret away? It was that Jiraiya wasn't it? How unprofessional of him to give away top-secrets like this. The Third should've known better than to trust him."

Tsunade smiled. "I think you misunderstand. I. Am. The _Hokage_. Unless you are an _enemy of the Leaf_ , Danzo, you do _not_ keep such secrets from me."

"As you will." Danzo bowed. "The Massacre was necessary. The Uchiha were planning rebellion. Allowing it to happen would have had _dire_ consequences to the village. While you were out _drinking and gambling_ , Hokage-sama, _I_ had to deal with one of the Leaf's most difficult political situations. You may be Hokage, but if you aren't fit for the role, then you don't deserve to handle some of its more.. _difficult_ aspects. Some things you should leave well alone. As long as they benefit the Leaf, I don't see why there should be a cause for concern." Danzo paused to give another bow. " If any of my words are disrespectful, please forgive me for them. Sometimes, the blunt truth is better than evasive lies. I merely speak to better our village."

" _Shimura Danzo._ " Gritting her teeth, Tsunade worked to contain her desire to simply squish the old bastard under her fists. "I know of your dealings with the masked man who calls himself 'Uchiha Madara'."

Danzo tightened his grip on his cane. _No one_ knew of the deal he'd made with this 'Madara'. The only way that could have happened.. He swallowed his surprise under an impassive masked. "You've caught him. You've caught Uchiha Madara. That is quite an achievement. I applaud you."

"You can cut the crap." Tsunade grinned ferally. "Your collusion with Hanzo - the betrayal of the Akatsuki rebel group - has turned them into the most dangerous criminal organization on the continent. I know of your dealings with Orochimaru. I also know that you've directly disobeyed your Kage's orders when you didn't have ROOT disbanded."

"Hokage-sama-"

" _Danzo!_ " The Kage raised her voice, interrupting whatever platitudes that the old warhawk sought to invoke. "Time after time, you've misconstrued the practical solution with the cruelest one. Your actions have had reprehensible consequences. You've caused the death of an entire clan of people, supported the man responsible for our recent invasion, and caused the creation of one of the most dangerous criminal organizations in existence. I'm having you charged with treason and, quite possibly, _death_."

Danzo glared at the woman before him as he considered his options. One was to attempt to verbally placate the angry Kage before him. The odds of success were almost non-existent. Senju Tsunade was a stubborn woman. Her twenty years away from the village was evidence of that.

Danzo mentally crossed out that option.

The second was to quietly submit himself. His ROOT operatives could rescue him later. The third was to reveal the side of his body in which Orochimaru, who in exchange for a consistent supply of Konoha citizens, had planted all the Sharingan that 'Madara' had given him after the Massacre. Even a Kage won't be able to stand up to the power of eleven Sharingan eyes. This option would mean war between ROOT and the rest of the village. Such a conflict, especially so soon after Orochimaru's invasion, would weaken the village considerably. Iwa would take the chance to both exact revenge and acquire one of the wealthiest lands on the continent. Refusing to fall behind, other hidden villages would quickly join in to exploit the political and economic profits that invading the Leaf could bring.

Which meant the third option was definitely not viable.

Danzo sighed. He hoped his ROOT-nin were up to the task. "All I've done has been for the sake of the Leaf. If you would punish me for keeping the village safe, then so be it. I am yours."

The old Shinobi was swiftly surrounded by ANBU.

Tsunade breathed a sigh of release. "Escort him out of my office. Have extra men watch out for his ROOT operatives. They are still around and may attempt a rescue. I want Yamanaka Inoichi and Morino Ibiki ready to pick his brain. Dismissed."

The tiger-masked ANBU captain bowed and vanished along with her squad, taking Danzo with her.

Tsunade turned. "Shizune, do you have that all written down?"

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

"Good." The Kage sat back in her chair. "Put it on the desk. I want you to bring me some sake."

Shizune placed her transcripts on the desk and smiled. "You shouldn't drink on the job, Tsunade-sama. How about some tea?"

Her mentor growled. "If you're not going to bring me my sake, I'm going to start stocking them in my desk. Then I can drink whenever I like. Bring me sake. _Now_."

Shizune sighed. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

-Intermission-

Stairs, stairs and more stairs. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, her legs were strained, her knees hurt and she was sweating more than she had since.. since she could even remember.

Chihiro groaned as she lifted her right leg up another step.

Several hundred steps above her, her guide shouted his encouragement. ' _Come on nee-chan! You can do it! We're almost at the top! Hurry!_ '

Chihiro gasped for breath as she slowly crawled her way up the steps toward the top of the village's Hokage monument.

A breeze blew into her back, causing her to shiver as the sweat in her shirt cooled to chilling temperatures.

' _Nee-chaaannnn!_ ' The voice whined. ' _Hurryyyy!_ '

Chihiro mustered whatever energy she had left to yell back. "I can't. I'm going to rest a bit."

Naruto frowned. He couldn't hear what she was saying all the way down below, but he could see her sitting. He descended quickly, flying down the steps until he was on the same level as his client. "If we don't hurry we're gonna miss it."

His client shook her head. "We've been running around the village all day. I'm too tired. I don't think we'll be able to get there in time."

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "Just think of it like training. I _know_ you can do it."

Chihiro nodded and trembled to her feet before falling back onto her butt. "My legs feel like jelly. I'm sorry."

Naruto shook his head. The boy threw his client's arms around his shoulder helped prop her up. "We're going up there no matter what. _Never_ give up."

 _Never give up.._ Chihiro smiled. Leaning her weight on her guide's shoulders, she swallowed her weariness and let her guide lead her up the rest of the way.

The sight before them was _stunning_. The setting sun to the far left cast a light orange glow across the sky, its rays filtering through the clouds and casting visible lines of warm light onto the world in front of them. She could see the immense forests surrounding the village move with the breeze, the orange bleeding lightly into the expansive green. Directly below them, the village expanded within the confines of the all-consuming forest.

Naruto grinned and pointed. "You see that little mountainy thing over there with that reddish roof and the tower next to it?"

Taking her attention off the captivating scenery, Chihiro looked to where her guide was pointing. "I see it."

"That's the Shinobi Academy. It's where all the kids who are trying to become Shinobi go." Naruto huffed proudly. "I graduated there eight months ago. And-and! See that huge square-looking place?" Naruto waved his hand over the entire right side toward a community of white, clean-looking buildings. "That's the Hyuuga place where all the Hyuuga clan live. They're a bunch of snobs. Except for this girl named Hinata. She's not a snob."

 _Snob_.. Chihiro enunciated thoughtfully. "That's not very nice you know."

"It's true. They think they're super important and all and that they're better than everyone else because they have special eyes that let them see through things all around them." Naruto shrugged. "Oh and look! On the other side, the circle-ish looking thing! That's the Uchiha place where they used to live before Sasuke's brother.." -Naruto gulped- "before he killed them all."

Chihiro's eyes widened. "That's horrible."

"Yeah." Naruto grit his teeth. "He's the reason Sasuke's all messed up. He's the reason Sasuke's gone."

 _Who's Sasuke?_ Chihiro frowned. "Naruto. I'm cold. Can I borrow your jacket?"

"Oh." Naruto snapped out of his thoughts. "Yeah of course." He pulled off his orange jacket. "Here."

"Thanks." Chihiro reached a shivering arm to take the jacket, and quickly pulled it around her.

"Alright!" Naruto jumped up, reaching into his pack. "Let's lay out the blanket!"

After pulling the large blanket over the top of the smooth rocky surface - Chihiro holding one end while Naruto held the other - they laid quietly on their backs next to each other.

Naruto began to chatter about his time with Jiraiya. How he had used his Oiroke-jutsu to convince the man to train him. How the man was always peeping and how he couldn't believe that his dad, the Fourth Hokage, was trained by such a hopeless perv. As he carried on about toads and tadpoles and training, Chihiro turned her eyes to the sky. Letting the lull of her guide's voice wash over her ears, her thoughts turned elsewhere.

She'd been working ever since she was young. It was wake up, wash up, escort the customers, act as messenger to their orders, and a myriad of other labor demands. She'd spend hours with Haku and several other employees mopping up the floors and washing out the bathhouse tubs. They'd have short breaks to eat or rest before it was back to work dealing with customers and making sure everything ran smoothly. As she got older, she'd began to shoulder more of the establishment's responsibilities. She rarely had any free time. It was wake up, eat, work, and sleep ever since she could remember.

Chihiro snuggled into the warmth of the orange jacket and smiled contentedly as the first stars began to twinkle into the sky. "This is nice."

Naruto stopped in the middle of his rambling. "Huh?"

"I said 'this is nice'."

"Oh." Naruto replied energetically. "Yeah it is. So Ero-sennin's teaching you?"

"Yes. I'm not very good though. There are several exercises he wanted me to do with a leaf. I can kind of do it, but I've been having a bit of trouble."

Naruto grinned. "I had trouble with that too! Don't worry. If I can do it, you can too. Believe it!"

* * *

-A/N-

Lame A/N is lame.


	34. (5) Ignition

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Subway only hire women. I swear. There's legit male discrimination going on here.

* * *

"Akatsuki-sama, sir! They've left the village."

 _Akatsuki-sama?_ The man rolled his eyes and flicked his hair behind his back. To think he'd be working with _Iwa_ - _nin_ of all people. To add insult to injury, they didn't even seem to _recognize_ him. _Him._ Deidara! The S-ranked nin who defected from _Iwa_ itself for crying out loud. He gave a careless toss of a small piece of clay. "Where are they headed?"

The Iwa-nin cowered from the mass of white that landed next to her. "They're heading straight west. Probably toward the nation of Rain, Akatsuki-sama, sir!"

Deidara grinned. "I'll head over to set up traps and intercept them. Keep tabs on them, but don't engage. They'll _destroy_ you. Un."

"Yes, Akatsuki-sama sir!" The woman bowed, eyeing the tiny piece of clay next to her wearily. _Is that thing moving?!_

Deidara's grin widened. "By the way, I have a _beautiful_ work of art to show you. Care to see it?"

As he spoke, the mass of white clay grew eight hairy-looking legs, taking on the form of a spider the size of a large human hand. It paused to wriggle and suddenly started running toward the frightened messenger of Iwa. The Chuunin tracker quickly made out an apology and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Fine." Deidara scratched his face with a finger. "I can enjoy it alone. Un." The spider leapt off the ground.

Deidara smiled as the air thundered. "Ka-boom."

-Intermission-

If they had travelled with the Flying Thunder God, they'd have reached Ame in less than ten minutes. They didn't. It cost significantly more Chakra to transport someone else, and to do it enough times to reach the Western borders of the Fire Nation would have been utterly depleting.

So they travelled like any other Shinobi did on foot and in disguise.

Jiraiya groaned and the wrinkles and pockmarks puckered in his face. "Son. Your old man is tired. I think.. I think you'll have to carry me."

"But Father." Minato replied, running a hand through a short crop of brown hair. "I don't think your bones could handle leaning on my back like that. I can give you an arm if you'd like."

Jiraiya nodded, his voice gasping. "That would be wonderful, son."

Even without the Flying Thunder God, they'd still managed to travel to within just fifty kilometers of the border between the nations of Fire and Rain in the first day. After making sure they were relatively isolated, they donned their disguise via Henge and slowed their pace considerably. They'd covered two hundred and twenty kilometers on their first day of travel, but only fifteen on their second day. Old men don't move very fast and Jiraiya was supposed to be senile.

The second night, they stayed at an inn in the town of Chibihi. Amazingly, Jiraiya managed to not scrape his eyes over a single woman in any unnecessary way.

Minato smiled at the thought as he laid on his bed. "Father. There were a lot of pretty women in town today. I noticed some giving me that _look_."  
Jiraiya chuckled throatily. "Aye. I noticed. But my old eyes are too weak to see. You lucky young 'un. Enjoy it while it lasts. Wait 'til ya get old like me."

"So you don't see women the way you used to?"

"Of _course_ I still see them the way I used to." Jiraiya rasped. "I just can't see them is all. I'm _rheumatic_ remember?"

Minato contained his urge to laugh. "The things you do to keep up with your disease. I pity you father."  
Jiraiya went quiet before speaking again. "Aye well. You won't have to worry about your old father soon. His old age is catching up with him. When I'm gone, I'm sure I'll be young again and will be rewarded with youth in my afterlife. And with pretty ladies."

"Father. You're completely hopeless." Minato smiled, but received no response other than Jiraiya's blatant snoring.

-Intermission-

Forty two meters away out in the nearby forest, an Iwa-nin took her ears off the earthen floor. "They're asleep."

Her partner pursed his lips. "You sure it's them?"  
The Iwa-nin shook her head. "I'm not. They're in disguise and suppressing their Chakra, but judging from the time and place of their reappearance, we can assume that those two are _probably_ them."

Her partner nodded. "Notify the Akatsuki. We're moving in."

"On it."

-Intermission-

Minato sat up the moment he felt a spark of Chakra enter the perimeter of his seals. He flashed over to the sleeping form of his mentor and before the man could even act startled, they vanished to the marker that had been placed several kilometers behind. A second later, the inn in which they were sleeping exploded, killing the owner and the other residents in an instantaneous ball of fire.

The Iwa-nin were ecstatic. "Did you get him, Akatsuki-sama?!"

"I don't know. Probably." Deidara smiled at the explosion he'd made. "I probably could've done it more artistically though. Oh well. Good enough."

Suddenly, the sensor-nin of their group began to shout. "The rear-guards been killed!"

One of the Iwa-nin started to panic. "What but I didn't hear any-" The assassin was cut off with a gurgle.

The Iwa assassins widened their eyes in fear and surprise. Flying higher into the air, Deidara carried himself and the Chuunin sensor-nin out of kunai range as the Yellow Flash killed the rest of the small squad of assassins.

"I didn't think it'd be this bad.. they're all dead." The Chuunin clutched his cloak and trembled in fear as she cried tears for her dead comrades. "I didn't know. What do we do now? Akatsuki-sama?"  
Deidara smiled. "Well. Let's see if he's altruistic enough to save you." With that, he stuck a wad of clay into the mouth of the crying Iwa tracker. She gagged as the piece of clay wormed its way down her throat. As she clawed at her mouth, Deidara reached out a hand and pushed her off his dragon. The Chuunin screamed as she fell the two kilometer distance down to the Earth.

-Intermission-

Show no mercy. Never show mercy, not to the enemy. Or the enemy will come back and bite you for your mistake. Those words played through the mind of Konoha's Yellow Flash nearly two decades ago as he slaughtered the army of a thousand Iwa-nin during the Third Shinobi War.

It had been gruesome. They were men and women, ANBU, Jounin, Chuunin and even some Genin, and none of them could hide from him. His sensor capabilities were unmatched. They couldn't run or react. He was infinitely faster. They'd simply died. One by one by one, like animals to slaughter in a slaughterhouse.

All he'd wanted was for the war to end. There'd been so much pain and suffering.. on both sides, but he'd be dishonest if he were to say that he didn't care more about the pain that the Leaf suffered. One dead friend was worse than a thousand dead enemies, even if they _were_ people. They'd decorated him as a hero after that war, placing prestige and honor on his name and family. All he could feel was the guilt of having gutted a thousand people. Many of them had friends and family. He'd seen the grief of having lost loved ones all too often over the course of the war, but he'd lost sight of all of it in that single day. And the lives of a thousand human beings paid the price.

Still, the guilt didn't drive away instinct - especially when he was high on the adrenaline of battle - and instinct told him to deal with the enemy first, worry about everything else later.

As the screaming Chuunin fell, Minato tossed a Hiraishin Kunai to meet her. four hundred meters in the air, her screaming stopped. Dislodging the Kunai quickly, he slung it again and vanished toward the signal of the Akatsuki member - Deidara - who was hanging high in the air.

High in the sky, Deidara had activated the explosion a second too late. It was too damned dark to see and he'd expected his assailant to catch her and hold her for several seconds at the very least. Needless to say, his timing was off. The body of the girl erupted, but its intended target was untouched and getting closer by the second. His dragon began to send animated clay figures flying downward, activating them at random intervals. _Let's see how he deals with a rain of bombs_. "Katsu! Katsu! Katsu! Katsu!"

At the sight of the exploding clay falling to meet him, the former Kage sent a massive gust of cutting wind upwards from his mouth in a sealless jutsu. _Fuuton: Daitoppa_. The air bloomed with fire as the force of the wind collided hard against the animated bombs of clay.

Deidara frowned, and suddenly Konoha's former Kage, the Fourth and Yellow Flash was standing on his mount. He threw his Hiraishin Kunai. Deidara didn't even bother to dodge it. It lodged into his head. Deidara smiled. He was only a clone after all.

The clone put its hands up and yelled its activation as fast is it could, blowing itself and the dragon on which it sat in a thundering explosion of immense radius. "KATSU!"

-Intermission-

Minato was saved by his faster reaction time. The moment he saw the man smile and put his hand in a seal was the moment he knew that something was up. As he flashed back to the ground, the sky lit up in a bright display of fire before it ballooned into smoke.

Off far over the other side of the horizon, Deidara scoffed as his clone's memories reached him. "That jutsu that he uses to teleport is fucking stupid."

Behind him, Sasori dropped the pitch of his voice condescendingly. "You couldn't even kill a sleeping man."

"Shut up. I'd like to see _you_ try."

* * *

-A/N-

Yeah. I'm starting another fanfic so.. less updates for this one. Maybe. Not abandoning. Just. Less updates. I know. TAT


	35. (5) Retaliation

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I used to have long-ish hair. I hated having to tuck it behind my ears all the time. It was also a pain to maintain. So now I have short-hair. Don't get me wrong though. I think long hair is pretty.. just not worth the time and effort. I guess it depends on your values and priorities.

* * *

"It's Iwa's assassins. They saw through our disguise."

Jiraiya yawned. "In the middle of the night too. Looks like we won't be getting any sleep as long as they're coming after us."

Minato nodded. "They've also hired Akatsuki to help them. I came face to face with Deidara himself."

"Which means Sasori of the Red Sand shouldn't be too far behind. I hope your student's information is correct."

"Obito's been most precise. They're probably hiding somewhere in these forests." Minato sat, closing his eyes. "I could probably sense them in Sage Mode."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

His body tingled with pleasure as the man before him collapsed into a pool of blood and guts. "Aaaah Jashin-sama! This one's for you!"

Kakuzu sneered in disgust at his partner's antics. "People are going to stop hiring us if you keep killing our clients."

"But.." Hidan dislodged his scythe from his chest. "He was _such_ an asshole. Acting all high and mighty and shit. Just cuz he's paying us."  
"This is why we're running _low_ on funds." Kakuzu growled. "Idiots like you and Deidara keep killing people that we _don't need to kill_. I don't care if its for art or _Jashin_.." He spat the name in disgust. "I'll sew your head to your ass if you don't stop fucking around."

Hidan frowned, ignoring the threat. "What's with the leader anyway, sending all of us to the Leaf like this. I mean this is _totally_ overkill."

Kakuzu turned a look of distaste on his partner. "They've managed to kill Kisame and fight off Itachi without a single casualty. We cannot underestimate our enemy."

Hidan swung his scythe half-heartedly. "The Yellow Fucking Flash. We're not even going to be fighting him. He's left the village."

Kakuzu bit back his impatience at the utter idiocy of his slow-witted partner. "That's _exactly_ why we're heading to the Leaf. Now's as good a time as any to capture the Nine-tails. I don't know _how_ you managed to survive all this time with brains like yours."

"If I had to guess.. I'd say it probably has something to do with the fact that I can't die."

Kakuzu shot his arms out and tore his partner's head off. "You cheeky fuckhead."

Hidan grinned. "You're not _really_ going to sew my head to my ass are you?"

"If you don't stop pissing me off, I just might."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Minato opened his eyes, his pupil a black horizontal bar inside orange irises. "I've found them."

"Where?"  
"Twenty kilometer back east in the direction of the village."

"You want to fight them now?"  
"Better to get rid of them sooner than later." Minato cut his thumb on a kunai. "I can get us there in just under two minutes and about thirty recursions of Hiraishin." He put his hand on the ground. "' _Kuchiyose no Jutsu.'_ "

A massive toad ballooned from beneath them, crowding out and crushing some of the surrounding trees. Quickly regaining his bearings, the Boss Toad chewed softly into his pipe as he examined his surroundings. " **Minato. I'm happy that you're back, but that doesn't mean you don't need a good reason to be summoning me.** "

"Bunta-san. I'll need you to take us twenty kilometers toward the village. We're about to engage two of the most dangerous criminals alive."

 _Good enough._ Gamabunta grinned. " **Leave it up to the Fourth Hokage to always find powerful adversaries.** "

Without waiting for a response, the toad pressed its massive legs into the ground and sprung, clearing over a hundred of meters in a single leap.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Deidara sat up from his attempt to sleep and frowned as his clay sentries relayed him with intel. " _Shit_. Holy _shit_. Holy fucking _shit. Sasori! Where the hell are you?!_ "

The puppetmaster floated into view from his side of the cavern. "What do you want?"

"It's the fucking Flash on a fucking toad. Un! And he has the Sannin with him. Un!"

Sasori glared at his seventeen year old partner. "Well they obviously know we're here. Engage them."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Jiraiya-sensei. It's his particle bombs. I can sense it."

"No problem." Jiraiya paused for a second as he ran his hands through several seals. "Gamabunta, Gamayu Endan."

" **On it**."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Deidara frowned. "How the hell did they even _know_?!"

"It doesn't matter how." Sasori readied his puppet of the Third Kazekage. "Just sit tight. You're absolutely useless here."

"The C4 is supposed to be _invisible_. Un. They blew a massive wall of fire at it. Bombs _explode_ on heat and impact. Un!" Deidara scowled. " _Goddamnit Sasori, stop looking down on me!_ "

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

 **"I've got important matters to attend to. Good luck."**

Minato nodded. "Thank you for helping us." With a poof of smoke, Gamabunta was gone.

The former Kage turned back to his mentor. "The puppetmaster's on the move. He's probably going to start with everything he's got."

The Toad Sage tilted his head and put a hand to his chin. "So that means.."

"Since we could just burn through all his other puppets, it means we'll be faced with the Third Kazekage's iron sand."

"Right." Jiraiya nodded. "I knew that. Actually, with his sand, attacking him from within the cave would put us at an extreme spatial disadvantage. They might just hole up and wait for us to go after them. We'll probably have to burn them out of hiding."

"I'll leave that to you then. They've covered up the mouth of the cave."

"That won't be an issue." A ball of blue Chakra swirled into life in the Sage's hands as he jumped over to the roof of the cavern. After several moments, he stood up, the Rasengan fading from his hand. "Alright. I've drilled through. Let's hope they didn't notice." He opened his mouth and spewed a stream of oil through the hole. "' _Gamayudan_ '" And followed it up with six quick hand seals. "' _Katon: Endan'"_

The flames licked down the pool of oil into the cave in which the Akatsuki were hiding.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"What if they try to smoke us out? Un."

"I've covered the entrance with solid iron sand. They won't be able to touch us."

"I grew up hearing stories about the Yellow Flash. Un. He's a fucking monster. Un. He slaughtered a thousand Shinobi in a day. Un." Deidara bit his tongue nervously. "He took down my dragon and my clone like nothing. Un."

" _Diedara_." Sasori's voice dripped with annoyance. "Shut the fuck up and find a way to make yourself useful. I can't hold this sand up forever."

"There's nothing I can do! Un. They somehow sense everything I send out to hit them. Un. I can't even just fly away because of that _fucking_ teleportation technique he has! UN!"

Sasori flared his Chakra in anger. "You _useless_ piece of _trash_."

Suddenly, a swirl of liquid fire spilled down from the cavern roof.

Deidara looked up. "Sasori! Cover that up! _COVER THAT UP!_ "

Ignoring his temper, the puppetmaster moved a portion of the sand away from the cave's entrance toward the liquid tongues of fire that were spilling in from above.

The sand from the entrance was suddenly blown apart, shredding inside a massive ball of blue Chakra. Sasori examined the mop of yellow hair and had his Kage puppet send the remaining sand crashing down on it.

A kunai flashed up past the sand and the blonde head disappeared, landing on the cavern roof. The enemy quickly drew two other kunai and threw them toward the puppet of the Third Kazekage.

 _The Yellow Flash's renowned teleportation markers.._ The Kage-puppet caught the kunai in a shield of iron sand. ' _Sabaku Sousou!_ '

The three pronged projectiles were crushed into metallic splinters.

The Fourth remained knelt on the cavern roof. "Sasori of the Red Sand."

"The Yellow Flash." Sasori replied in acknowledgement. "To think you used to be a pacifist."

Minato smiled. "Might I ask you to turn yourself in quietly?"

Sasori raised his hands. "I surrender. Tie me up."

"I'm not an idiot."

"It was worth a shot." Sasori shrugged as he sent more sand feeling toward his opponent. The Flash grinned in anticipation as he stared down his opponent from his orange pigmented eyes.

On the other side of the cavern, Deidara was being held down by a wart-faced Jiraiya, his arms had been torn off from his body.

The teen smiled. _Now's as good a time as any_. The mouth in Deidara's chest finished chewing up the rest of the clay it'd been eating. "You're in _luck_. You get to see my _greatest_ work of _art_."

Sasori's eyes widened. _That's why he wasn't doing anything._ "Deidara, you _fucking-_ "

" _KATSU!_ "

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

If he hadn't placed a Flying Thunder God marker on the man's body, Jiraiya would have died. After an instantaneous Flash to his mentor, the duo vanished and reappeared several kilometers away just in time to watch the thundering explosion rocket into the sky, digging a massive crater and sending waves of seismic activity rolling through the Earth.

Minato grimaced as gusts of powerful winds rolled outwards from the epicenter of a destructive blast more powerful than several tailed beast balls.

Jiraiya sat in shock at his near-death experience. "That was a close call."

"It was." Minato replied, pushing as much cheer as he could muster into his voice. "You're lucky I forced my seal onto your body."

Jiraiya frowned. "You're still taking it off when this mission is over. I don't need you watching me when I'm doing private things. That's just creepy."

Minato sighed. "As long as my son doesn't pick up on your influence. Do you really have to be thinking about women all the time?"

The Sage of Toads nodded seriously. "I wouldn't be a man otherwise."

* * *

-A/N-

My AT&T vanished. Sadlife.


	36. (5) Motives

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm sometimes up due to insomnia all the way into sunrise. And then I sleep like two hours. It's pitiful.

* * *

Sanaki Naoto had been an advisor of Iwa's long-standing Kage for twenty years. She'd always been loyal, hardworking and trustworthy when it came to the tasks appointed to her by the old man. Iwa was her home and its people were her family, and she did everything she could to keep her family together and _safe_. Family was everything to her.

So it was, during that day of the Flash's massacre of Iwa's thousand-man Shinobi-army, that her world fell to pieces. Her brothers, her husband, and even her two daughters had perished that day. At first, she'd refused to believe it. It was only weeks before that she'd taken her girls out to dinner, congratulating the younger one for having recently become Chuunin. Her older daughter, Sanaki Sachi, was going to retire her forehead protector and marry the civilian boy that she'd been dating. Her brothers had been top-ranked ANBU and her husband had been a respectable Iwa-Jounin.

And they'd all been murdered in cold-blood by one monstrously powerful, blonde Shinobi.

Or so the report had told her, but reports could've been written wrong. There was no way one Shinobi could do that. What had she done to deserve this? The gods wouldn't have been so cruel to take away everything that she'd cherished, would they? It was a dream. It wasn't possible. They'd come back with a different report. An enemy's scare tactic. A genjutsu. Anything.

Burying the news under piles and piles of possible alternatives, Naoto had gone to the Council Meeting in hopes of having some of those possibilities verified. It was only when Onoki began talking about _cessation_ and _treaty_ that she'd started to realize that it was all true.

The man who'd proposed to her and been with her through thick and thin was dead. Her beloved daughters who she loved more than anything were dead. Her brothers - annoying, teasing but loving - were dead.

They were all gone.

Sanaki Naoto had a breakdown then.

Onoki had been more than understanding, giving her time to recover and even visiting her personally despite his worsening back. She'd appreciated his concern and his care, but his words of comfort fell on empty ears.

That night, as she strung the ropes on the overhang of her bedroom, she suddenly recalled some pieces of the report. The man who'd taken everything from her, Namikaze Minato, was being dubbed Hokage and hero of Konoha. He was being given everything. Love and family.. _life_ , while her own loved ones lay dead. And then she'd lost the will to end herself so pitifully. Doing so would be spitting on the death of those she'd held dear. They would still be dead and the Yellow Flash would still be living on in prosperity. Tearing down the noose, she'd found something new to cling on, something other than family. It was not fair that such a despicable man got away with causing so much pain. It was not fair that she suffered while he reaped the fruits of her suffering. She wasn't going to let him do it.

Sanaki Naoto swore that night that no matter how long it took or what further sacrifices she'd have to make, _he_ would meet a premature death and be buried into the ground just like her loved ones.

Namikaze Minato would _pay_.

It was with grim satisfaction when, several years after the War, the news of the Nine-tails' attack on the hidden Leaf and the death of Konoha's Fourth Hokage reached her ears. Justice had been served in the form of one of the worst natural disasters in the Five Nations. Justice.. such a hollow justice. As her satisfaction faded - as her life goal was suddenly achieved - her spirit went limp. It was an empty victory. They were still dead. Aito, Sachi, Akiko - her husband and two daughters - were still dead. She was still _alone_ , but she would live on in their name. The years had dulled her grief, and she'd no longer considered suicide. Still, it was an empty life, void of real happiness or purpose. The men who'd courted her - they held no meaning to her. They brought her no happiness, and her patriotism lost its colors.

The days blurred into weeks, weeks into years, and she aged. She didn't even notice it happening, not that it mattered anyway.

And then, a month ago, Konoha was attacked during its recent tenure as hosts of the Chuunin Exams. They didn't know how and they didn't know why, but the invasion into Konoha by the infamous Sage of Snakes, Orochimaru, had brought one boon to the battered village: Namikaze Minato was _alive_.

The fires of her spirit were suddenly set aflame against years of dormancy, and Naoto immediately pushed for his assassination. The Yellow Flash was a danger to the balance of power between the five nations. The very fact that the man was alive spat on the graves of the faithful thousand that had died nearly twenty years back. Such a menace must be stopped. She'd look around as her fellow Council Members. She knew some of them agreed with her. She knew that, if push comes to shove, they'd support her stance on the issue. But Onoki, the old fence-sitter, had denied them. The Flash was _dangerous_ , he'd said. Attacking the Leaf, even in its weakened state, could cause unwanted conflicts, he'd said.

Naoto had been barely able to contain her rage. In his fear of war, the old man had forgotten the pain that his village had suffered.. what it meant to bring _justice_ to those who brought about that suffering. _The heartless old bastard_.

After the meeting, Naoto had called for a secret meeting with those who she knew sympathized with her. The Yellow Flash was going to die if it was the last thing they did. He had a son - Uzumaki Naruto: a weakness and potential leverage. They had connections with the most powerful criminal organization on the continent. S-rank criminal or not, the Council and the Akatsuki shared a common goal.

After a week of meetings and communications, a plan had been formulated. They were to split their forces: one to attempt direct assassination of their target and another to capture their target's son. If the former failed, the latter would act as a fail-safe to bend the former Hokage to their every whim. She couldn't wait to see the man lose his loved one and suffer the same pain that she did.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she turned her attention to the Shinobi kneeling before her. "Report."

"Yes, Sanaki-sama. He's wiped out most of the squads sent to engage him. The Legendary Sannin Jiraiya is with him too. They've also somehow managed to find and defeat our Akatsuki allies, and they're still heading toward Ame."

"Even the Akatsuki couldn't touch them.. as expected of the Leaf's Yellow Flash. And the nation of Rain. Hmm." Naoto mused. "Are they aware of our movements toward the secondary objective?

"No. At least.. not that we know of." The messenger replied.

"Good. See that it remains that way. We should retract any more attempts at direct assassination. Let him believe that he's fended us off."

The messenger bowed. "I will notify everyone immediately."

Naoto licked her lips as the messenger left. She could almost imagine his agony at the loss of his son and it was.. _stimulating_.

-Intermission-

Marechiyo Omaeda was the kind of man people usually called a 'Grunt'. He was large, half bald, weighed more than twice the average man and could make children cry with a simple sneer. More than his skills as a Shinobi, it was these qualifications that'd gotten him the spot as leader of his gang of mercenaries, and they were now under hire by some mysterious organization.

He wasn't exactly sure what the organization was or even what it sought to do. Such information weren't usually reserved to hired swords, even if they had years of tenure. The man didn't mind. As long as his crew got paid, he really didn't need to be asking unneeded questions

Looking like a grunt had a few quirks. One of those was that people generally underestimated his intelligence. Those who did so sometimes learned the hard way that Marechiyo Omaeda wasn't one to be easily fooled.

No amount of threats, money, or seductive attempts made a difference when it came to his mission objectives.

He did what he was told and he was proud of that. Marechiyo Omaeda was nothing if not loyal. And smart. And strong. Omaeda smiled at the thought. _I'm the perfect human being_.

He almost felt bad for those who dared cross his path. Almost.

Omaeda turned to the newest member of his squad. "Oy! Newbie!"

The pink-haired teen stared at him placidly. "Yes, commander?"

"We're moving in. You haven't done any drills with us before so here's the plan. We're to cause as much of a ruckus as possible, but we are not to engage the enemy. It's a scare tactic ya see. The Shinobi of this village are big softies. They won't kill us if we don't really threaten them, and will probably lock us up at worst. Remember. Loud noise, lots of fire and lots of running around. Kill a few people. Guerilla stuff ya know?"

The newbie nodded. "We're to draw as many of the village's defenses as possible."

"Aye." Omaeda was impressed. "You're a smart kid aren't you? What's your name again?"

".."

"Don't give me that look, you little twit. Your commanding officer is asking you a _question_."

The newbie bowed. "My apologies. It's Haruno Sousuke, commander."

"See that wasn't so hard, was it?!" The squad commander nodded. "Sousuke! If ya die or get caught, we're not gonna come back for ya. Got it?"

Sousuke sighed loudly. "I _know_ what I'm doing commander."

"Good kid." Omaeda patted a large hand on the young Shinobi's back before turning his attention to the rest of his squad. "LET'S MOVE!"

-Intermission-

He had several facts in his hands. First, his brother was a member of a criminal organization known as the Akatsuki. Second, the Akatsuki's most powerful members wore black cloaks with red-clouds, an information that was surprisingly well-concealed. Third, Konoha had exclusive access to information on the Akatsuki via whatever connection his brother had with the Fourth and the Sannin. He'd inferred their correspondence based on their attempts to placate his desire to take vengeance against his brother.

Fourth: the people of power within the Leaf were keeping a lot of secrets from the rest of the village, and his brother's non-guilt was probably one of them. Why else would the village's Legendary Sannin and its former Fourth Hokage vouch for him - a man who was considered one of the village's worst criminals?

Something was up, and they wouldn't give him the details. He couldn't rule out any possibilities of manipulation and deception. The fact of the matter was that the Leaf couldn't be trusted. It was something he should've realized sooner, but didn't due to the village's constant attempts to pamper him for being the 'last Uchiha'.

The Leaf was no longer an option. He was going to take the head-on approach and find out what he could about the Akatsuki for himself.

It'd been surprisingly easy too. He'd simply asked around for telltale signs of black cloaks and red clouds. Word of his inquiries somehow reached the ears of those he was seeking.

They'd come to _him_ , as he'd expected. If worst came to worst, he had the Fourth's kunai to use as a failsafe against danger. He wasn't stupid. He knew what it did. And Namikaze Minato, being the honorable man that he is, would appear to rescue him.

He was met by someone sent to feel him out and he'd convinced the man to vouch that he was not an enemy and worth being hired by the Akatsuki. The Sharingan helped.

Then he'd met Kakuzu.

Having cut his hair short and dyed it pink, he'd manage to avoid being recognized as the brother of the notorious Uchiha Itachi. He was sure there were many who coveted his eyes and his blood, but he wasn't so sure he could fend them off. Better an alias than risk being captured by poachers.

Still, Kakuzu had somehow been able to see through his disguise, and had been more amused than anything at the genin's confessed desire to seek revenge against his brother. "I understand the reason for your disguise, but you can be rest assured. However much I covet the income that you'd bring, Itachi's productive value is much too high to be worth this risk. If you can beat Itachi, then you might as well take his place. If not, then Itachi remains in his position. It's no loss to us. If you're willing to work for the Akatsuki, who am I to deny you? Labor is labor." -he paused. -"We do happen to have an assignment for you, but let's discuss your terms of employment first. Payment is to be received after the completion of the objectives we give you and will be based on what we deem acceptable. You're a missing-nin. You don't get to make wage demands. Now as to where you report to receive your pay..."

After hashing out the details, Kakuzu turned to leave, pausing only for a few moments at the door. "And kid. You need to work on your Sharingan before you try it on an agent of the Akatsuki. You're nowhere _near_ as good as your brother." With that the man was gone.

After the debriefing, he was led by the same agent who he'd thought he'd snared in his genjutsu, and had been stuck along with a mercenary squad under the command of one Marechiyo Omaeda. They'd then convened with some other squads of Shinobi for a brief meeting before heading off to the hidden Leaf village. He'd seen a flash of Iwa's forehead protector from among some of these other squads.

He already knew that Iwa were sending assassins to murder Naruto's dad. It was something the man had discussed with his son to prepare him for Iwa's maneuvers. Naruto had then in turn discussed it with his friend: conversation was natural between the two, and the subject had been an eventuality waiting to happen.

Iwa Shinobi meant only a few possible objectives, the most likely being Namikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash, and Uzumaki Naruto, his son.

Underneath his well-controlled facial expression, Sasuke's mind rankled with worry.

He had to find Naruto.

He had to warn him before the dope did anything stupid to get himself caught.

* * *

-A/N-

I need to learn to stop rambling.

See you next update.

Toodles!~


	37. (5) Infiltration

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I just watched the Last Naruto Movie. Japanese dub with English sub of course. They really milked that NaruHina didn't they?

* * *

After their encounter with the Akatsuki, the duo had put their main mission on hiatus. Minato spent the next day hunting down the rest of their assailants while Jiraiya waited near the border between the lands of Rain and Fire.

Jiraiya sat around a small, smokeless fire as his student returned from his excursion. The sun had set an hour ago. He gave the bloody-looking blonde a small wave. "Yo. Did you get all of them?"

Minato moved to sit next to his Sensei. "Probably not."

Jiraiya sighed.

Minato threw a twig into the fire. "I need to go back. I need to protect my son."

"And abandon the mission?"

Minato glared into the flames. "I don't need to hear this talk. Jiraiya-sensei."

"Then you should know to trust the village to protect him in your stead."  
Minato scoffed. "Just like I trusted them to treat him with respect?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "That was different. Tsunade knows about Iwa's assassins, and the village has already taken some countermeasures. That old Tsuchikage should also get word soon about the.. political implications of their recent maneuver, which should put a stop to this whole situation."

Minato hung his head in silent thought.

"You can't hover over him forever you know. What're you gonna do, watch him every second of his life for the rest of his life?" -Jiraiya put a hand on his student's shoulder- "Naruto's grown while you've been away. He has many who would do everything to protect him, including the Fifth Hokage herself. That Tsunade loves your kid fiercely.. probably more than she'll ever love me." _Which is really a shame_.

"I know." Minato said quietly.

"Then you have nothing to worry about." The Sage ignored the uncomfortable feeling in his chest and stood to stretch. "We're crossing the border tomorrow. Get some rest."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Zetsu melded out of the ground into the tower room. "Deidara blew himself up and took Sasori with him."

The orange-haired man in the middle of the room stared out at the heavy wall of rain through rippling purple eyes. "A setback, but not something from which we cannot recover. Anything else?"

"It appears the Yellow Flash and the Sannin, Jiraiya, are both heading into the nation of Rain."

 _Jiraiya-sensei_. The blue haired woman that'd been standing nearby spoke up. "They're coming _here_?!"

"It appears so." Zetsu confirmed.

The man's countenance remained unchanged. "If that is all, then you may leave."

"As you wish.. Pein." Zetsu replied submissively and vanished back into the floor.

After a moment's silence, the blue-haired woman spoke first. "Nagato. It's _Jiraiya_. He's coming _here_."

The man turned his eyes to face his longstanding partner. "I am aware."

"What do you plan to do?"

The man paused for the briefest second. "This changes nothing. His mode of thinking is nothing more than an impossible ideal.. merely human. Even if he was once our teacher, if the man threatens our goals.. we eliminate him."

The blue-haired woman - Konan - sighed inwardly. Although she didn't exactly approve of Nagato's destructive plans and his self-styled God-status, he was all she had left after Yahiko's death. She'd follow him until the end, even if it meant opposing the man to whom they were deeply indebted. Reaffirming her resolve, Konan inclined her head. "Then eliminate him we shall."

* * *

-Forests of Konoha-

* * *

Tobi was happy. He was back together with his partner and best friend in the whole wide world, and they were going on an adventure to the hidden Leaf village. "We're on an adventure!" he cheered.  
Up ahead, the most boring man in the world continued leaping through the trees, ignoring the beauty and the thrill of it all.

Tobi would fix that. He raised his voice. "Hey!"

The man ignored him. Maybe he didn't know that he was the one being talked to. Tobi tried again. "Itachi-san!" -Itachi turned his head slightly to the side. Tobi cheered inwardly.- "We're on an adventure!"

Itachi's voice drifted back quiet but distinct. "Uchiha Madara. We are alone with no other company. There is no need for you to maintain your act in my presence."

 _Oh shoot._ Tobi balked. _He doesn't know that Obito and I aren't really Madara._ Under the mask, Tobi whispered almost inaudibly to his partner. 'Oy. You're supposed to be Madara. You talk.'

Obito raised his voice. "Very well. It shall be a long and silent journey then." -he paused to dip his voice with venom- "But do not forget your place, _Uchiha_."

Itachi said nothing, and they carried on without any further exchange.

' _Damnit Tobi_.' Obito chided imperceptibly.

Tobi's spirits dropped to his toes. ' _Sorry._ '

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Omaeda called his squad to a halt. "We're within patrolling distance. Remember the plan. We're to spread on a thin line twenty meters apart from each other and we're going to destroy everything and kill everyone in our path. Those Iwa people should be doing the same thing on the other sides. YOU READY?!"  
The squad let their silence voice their assent.

"SPREAD OUT!"

Sasuke immediately made his way toward the Leaf.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The Nine-tailed Fox was the most powerful of the nine Bijuu, a beast of legend and an unparalleled force of nature. It is known to be able to send the skies thundering with wind and level mountains with a flick of its tails. This indomitable beast was held within the body of a thirteen year old boy. Their objective was to snatch this boy from right under the hands of the hidden Leaf. In order to do so, they needed to both get past the Leaf's Shinobi and to avoid unleashing the Nine-tails' power.

This is where Uchiha Itachi came in. With his Sharingan, his knowledge of the Nine-tails' Jinchuuriki's seal and his superior Chakra control, the man was the only member of the Akatsuki they could reliably trust to both shut down the Bijuu either with a physical manipulation of the seal or with his powerful ocular abilities.

"He's here." Kakuzu snapped his eyes open from his musings and stood. "Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi landed beside Akatsuki's treasurer. "Kakuzu."

Nearby, Hidan examined the man with the orange swirl-patterned mask on the branch twenty feet behind the newly-arrived Uchiha. "That's your new partner? Never seen him before."

"His name is Tobi." Itachi replied.

Tobi waved cheerily. "Yo! I'm Tobi! I'll do my best! Kakuzu-senpai! Hidan-senpai!"

Kakuzu nodded. "You got here right on time. The diversion starts in.." -he paused in thought- "..ten minutes." _And your brother is among them._ "Most of them will be killed, but that is not a concern to us. We get in, get the Nine-tails, get out."

"Understood." Itachi replied. "You will move through the entrance I've detailed for you, and draw away the rest of the village's defenses that hasn't been sent to engage our diversionary forces. While they do so, Tobi and I will enter from the eastern side of the village to locate and procure the Nine-tails. Once the objective has been achieved, we will send the signal for retreat."

"As we've had planned." Kakuzu remarked with satisfaction. It was always nice when members of a task-force understood how to plan and carry out tactical maneuvers, and Uchiha Itachi was one of the few that could be relied on for efficiency in both areas. _Unlike my own partner._ Kakuzu thought with more than a little scorn.

Hidan glared at his partner as if he knew what the man was thinking. "So uh.. since we're about to engage the enemy, would you just _stop being a fucking asshole_ and put my head back onto my neck?"

Kakuzu spared the immortal a disparaging look. "You will do well to remember not to cross me again."

"Yeah, whatever." Hidan replied dismissively. "You don't really expect me to fight with my head in my ass do you?"

"That would be interesting to see."

Hidan sneered as his head was being fixed back into place. "You sick fucker."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Tsunade scanned the report and smiled. Naruto was running his client ragged. She didn't have Shinobi stamina like he did and yet they were traipsing about the village at a pace no civilian should have to match. At this rate, the poor girl was going to collapse, and Naruto was going to have quite a time explaining why Ogino Chihiro was being treated at the hospital for sheer, physical exhaustion. She was going to have some words with the energetic little brat.

Konoha's Fifth Hokage sat back. Uzumaki Naruto, this child of Jiraiya's greatest student, was filling a place in her heart left empty by the death of the two people who'd meant everything to her life. Naruto had left her with no say on the matter. He was outgoing, adorable, friendly, fearless, loving, strong-willed, straightforward.. in short, he was almost a carbon copy of her little brother, Senju Nawaki, and he brought out all of the protective, maternal instincts that slept within her. _Jiraiya you conniving bastard. You knew this would happen._

The sudden appearance of a Leaf Shinobi tugged her out of her thoughts. The Shinobi knelt, his voice set in a panic. "Tsunade-sama. We're under attack!"

The Kage slammed a fist onto the sturdy desk and stood. "Who? How many?"

"We're not sure." The messenger replied quickly. "But there are at least two hundred of them."

 _Two hundred?!_ Tsunade's eyes widened in horror. An army of two hundred shinobi was nothing to laugh at. So soon after Orochimaru too. Tsunade smirked. If they thought that the recent move by Orochimaru and Suna had left the Leaf too weak to fight back another invasion, they were in for a surprise.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Chihiro put one foot on the bark. A second foot. She fell with a crash, grimacing in pain as her back hit the forest floor of the Training Ground. "I thought I had it."

Naruto helped her stand. "That's ok. Nee-chan. Keep trying. It took me like two entire days to learn how to stand without falling. I think you should try with a running start?"

Chihiro nodded and was about to make another attempt when a rat-masked Shinobi appeared out of nowhere. The man spoke in hurried tones. "Uzumaki Naruto. The village is under attack. Take your client to the shelters."

 _Under_ _attack?!_ Naruto frowned. "But-"

"This is a direct order from the Hokage herself. We-"

The man was cut off with a gurgle, and he fell to the floor with a clunk.

Chihiro stared wide-eyed and swallowed. Standing in front of them was none other than the red-eyed demon that'd left her collapsed on the desk back at the Hotel. Naruto squeezed his client's hand before pulling out a kunai. "Don't worry Nee-chan. I'll protect you."

Itachi stared impassively. The ANBU guards had been taken care of. There was only one more obstacle between him and his objective. "Kyuubi."

A sudden voice sounded in Naruto's head. ' **Brat. Don't look in his eyes.** '

The genin nearly reeled surprise. Ever since his dad had gotten back and fixed up his seal, the Fox had refused to give him any more Chakra or even talk to him. Shaking himself of his thoughts, Naruto made an attempt to take stock of the situation.

Uchiha Itachi. Naruto clenched his fists as hatred and rage boiled in his guts. " _You!_ You're Sasuke's brother." -he spat the last word with as much venom as he could muster- "What you did to him.. _I can't forgive you. You fucking monster._ "

A coat of red Chakra began to cover every inch of his body. In his mindscape, he stared into the cage in which the massive Nine-tailed Fox was being held. "Why? Why now?!"  
Kurama glared at his jailer. He'd rather die and be revived elsewhere than be yoked under the control of the Sharingan again like some puppy on a leash. " **It doesn't matter. Just remember what he did to your 'Sasuke' and what he's going to do to your 'Hotel-neechan' if you don't stop him.** "

Itachi's voice carried softly toward the irate blonde. "What relations do you have with my little brother?"  
Naruto's knuckles whitened as the semblance of two red tails of Chakra sprouted from his back, his voice scratched and feral as he snarled his response. "Don't you _dare_ call him brother. You don't deserve to be his brother. I'm more of a brother to him than you will _ever_ be."

"I see." Itachi replied.

Naruto felt a third tail waver into existence, and the feeling of hatred in his guts very nearly overwhelmed him. That man, that traitor of his clan and the one who ruined Sasuke's life.. the man was pissing him off. He wanted to tear that smug expression off the man's face. He wanted the man to scream and suffer and _pay_ for his crimes.

Inside his mind, Kurama smirked. _**This is almost too easy**_.

Succumbing to his rage, Naruto vanished, the Nine-tails' Chakra propelling him at speeds nearly impossible to follow by the naked eye.. unless that eye contained fully matured Sharingan.

With a flare of Chakra of his own, Itachi easily sidestepped the Jinchuuriki's rabid assault. Naruto threw a few more punches, each one with enough force to break walls and shatter bone. Itachi neatly dodged every single one, and Naruto jumped back, his hands positioned in a seal. "' _Tajuu: Kage Bunshin no Jutsu'"_

Nearby, Chihiro was making herself appear as small as possible as she hugged against the tree that she'd been trying to walk up earlier. Her guide's anger frightened her. She'd only ever seen him give her expressions of cheer, determination and encouragement. What frightened her even more was the way which the masked Ninja had been so easily dispatched. _To be constantly dancing a thin line between life and death.. this is what it means to be a Shinobi._ She suddenly felt a deep and newfound respect for the old pervert that her family had so lightly and easily befriended. With the respect came a certainty. She would _never_ be a Shinobi. She should've just stayed back at the Hotel. All of this was completely out of her depths. The aura of malice and killing intent that was in the air was suffocating. Chihiro whimpered as she tried to disappear into the ground. (1)

About a kilometer on the other side of the village, Sasuke's Sharingan eyes zeroed in on the massive blob of orange that bloomed into existence on a distant training ground.. Team Seven's training ground. Pumping Chakra into his legs he raced toward his friend. _Please let me make it in time.. Naruto!_

* * *

-Footnote-

* * *

(1) If only she were a Zetsu.. amirite?

Samus: Fixed. Thanks! ^-^


	38. (5) Truth

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I went and put my other story on hiatus just so I could finish this one. I can't wait to go back to the other one though.

* * *

His dad had warned him about this. About losing control.

Naruto snarled in frustration as Sasuke's brother swiftly tore through his army of clones. The bubbling hatred was threatening to completely overtake him, and he couldn't stop it.

Naruto grit his teeth as he prepared a Rasengan. _I have to finish this fast_.

The Rasengan swirled into life, a whirlwind of force and power squeezed into a small, compact ball of Chakra.

As Sasuke's brother blasted several more clones out of existence, Naruto raced under the cover of the mass of orange bodies, shoving through toward the Uchiha.

Itachi fought with concentration. He was outnumbered, but not outmatched. While he could use something large like his Susano'o to easily exterminate the swarm of orange, there was no reason to up his ante and provoke the Jinchuuriki more than necessary. Keep the battle clean, small-scale and toned down without disengaging. He couldn't risk losing sight of his target.

Still, fighting a large crowd wasn't by any means easy. He wasn't a Byakugan user, so he had a massive 235 degree blind spot behind him. In order to keep up, he had to constantly position himself behind and around specific clones to force them to fumble into each other. He also had to be constantly spinning on his feet to cover his blind spot. The Sharingan allowed him to see every movement within his limited field of vision and the rest was easy work. It helped that none of them dared look him in the eyes.

Flipping horizontally into the air away from another barrage of clones, he blew a sealless ball of fire, clearing a wide area in front of him. That spot was going to be safe for about four seconds. He landed, turning back to face the onslaught.

As he deflected a Naruto in front of him, another burst through his side with a ball of blue Chakra in his hand. _Found him._

With quick clean movements, he weaved down to slam a Chakra-infused palm into the boy's stomach, jamming the seal's pathways and sealing the Nine-tails' Chakra.

Naruto gasped. His Rasengan - having missed - blasted into the ground as he fell over and his red cloak dissipated. The clones puffed out of existence, and Itachi let the boy fall forward softly into his arms. "Tobi. The signal."

From the treetops in which he'd sat sentry, Obito saluted energetically as Tobi cheered aloud. "Aye sir!"

As his partner leapt away, Itachi hefted the Jinchuuriki onto his back.

A voice suddenly cried into his ears. "Wait!"

Itachi stopped to examine the source - a frightened-looking girl. She stared back at him with pleading eyes. "Please. Let him go."

Itachi silently turned away, readying to leave when another voice carried loudly into his ears.

" _Itachi!_ "

The older Uchiha closed his eyes. _Sasuke_.

Sasuke stared into his brother's back. "I've defected from the village."

Itachi froze. _What?!_

"I'm joining you." Sasuke continued. "I don't know why the Massacre happened, but I know there's some reason behind it."

He tensed. Sasuke was supposed to kill him and become a hero of the Leaf. This wasn't supposed to happen. "Your delusions are amusing."

"Nii-san, stop this." Sasuke snarled. "I want to know the truth. Minato-sensei told me that I shouldn't blame you. _Show me why_."

 _Minato-sensei?_ The Fourth wasn't supposed to reveal anything. Jiraiya was supposed to make sure of that. "There is no truth. I murdered the clan. I killed mother and father, and the only reason you're alive is so that I can test my strength once you've fully matured."

" _I don't believe you._ " His brother's voice became pleading. "Nii-san. I can't do it. As long as I know there's something going on, I will _never_ raise my hands against you.." -the voice paused and wavered lightly- "I still love you. Please. _Nii-san_. _Show me._ "

Itachi's thoughts stumbled and he swallowed his emotions. "You defected."

The voice regained its bearings as it spoke in confirmation. "I joined the Akatsuki." -Itachi's stomach sank- "It's the only way I could get close to you. So that you can show me the truth."

He paused in thought. "And what would you have me do after?"

"I don't know. But I want to stop blindly hating you. I.. I want my brother back."

Slowly, Itachi turned, his eyes falling upon his little brother. _What did he do to his hair?_ "Then look into my eyes, little brother. I will show you."

As Sasuke stared into his brother's glowing red eyes, his surroundings vanished and he was suddenly standing on a cliff-side, the moon shining down into the darkness. Itachi's best friend - Uchiha Shisui - stood before them. "Looks like the Uchiha coup d'etat can't be prevented.."

* * *

-Flashback-

* * *

Sasuke's mind reeled as he relived his brother's memories. The coup, the Council's decisions, Danzo's betrayal of the Third.. It was all for him and for the sake of his clan's reputation. After playing through the conversation with Uchiha Madara, he was finally brought to the scene of his parent's death.

He stared into their backs from his brother's eyes. Mother and Father were kneeling next to each other, unmoving and putting up no resistance.

"I see." Father's spoke, his voice somber and deep. "So you've aligned with the other side?"

Sasuke opened his mouth, speaking in his brother's voice. "Father, mother… I-"

"I know, Itachi." Mother - sad but understanding.

Itachi stopped, unable to speak any further.

"Itachi. Just promise me this." Father's voice. A voice from which he'd once yearned to hear approval. "Take care of Sasuke."

 _Father._ Sasuke felt a pang in his heart at those words. And then, something happened, something that he'd never imagined would happen in a million years.

Uchiha Itachi cried.

His hands - his brother's hands - shook with hesitation as tears streamed from their face.

And then Father spoke again, reassuring even in his last moments. "Do not fear. This is the path you have chosen." -His brother's pain - his pain - clamped on every nerve in his body.- "Compared to you, our pain will be over in an instant. Even if our philosophies differ, I am proud of you."

Itachi held the blade to his father's back, but his arms refused to move further. And then Father, as if encouraging his son to follow through, softened his voice to speak his last words. "You are truly a kind child."

And he pushed the blade into the man's heart, following it quickly with a slash into the woman beside him.

They stood for several minutes, waiting. And the pain. The pain was everything. He couldn't see. He couldn't move..

And then his 8 year old self opened the door to the room and he strengthened his resolve. _Sasuke. You will make me atone for my sin_.

* * *

-End Flashback-

* * *

Sasuke grit his teeth as the memories faded. _That fucking Danzo. I'll kill him._

Itachi watched his brother patiently. "What are you going to do, little brother? Now that you know the truth."

"I'm going to kill him. I'm going to kill Danzo."

"I can't let you do that."

"Why?!"  
"Going after me is safe. I was never really going to kill you. Going after Danzo will get you killed. He has a lot of Shinobi at his beck and call, and is still a protected citizen of the Leaf. You are neither capable of killing Danzo nor opposing the entire village."

Sasuke gave his brother a pleading look. "Then help me!"

Itachi shook his head. "I cannot do that. Protecting the Leaf takes priority, and killing Danzo will only cause the Leaf to suffer."

"Fuck the Leaf." Sasuke glared at his brother. "Why do you even care about this village? What about me? What about your brother?!"

Itachi's expression remained calm. "The Leaf is a construct which protects a people and future generations to come. They are just like you and me, and their lives are worth protecting."

He paused as his brother appeared to sort through his brain for a retort, anything to justify vengeance.

Itachi sighed inwardly. "Is that all, little brother?"

Shaking out of his thoughts, Sasuke spoke in response. "No. I want you to stay. Stay with me. If you won't fight the Leaf then come back and be a part of it.. together."

"The only way for that to happen is for the truth to be revealed. The reputation of the Uchiha will be forever ruined."

"I don't care."

Itachi stared into his brother's determined eyes as he sorted through his thoughts. Shisui had sacrificed his life for the village. His dying wish had been for the clan name to be upheld. The clan name mattered to their parents. It mattered to him. There was also the fact that he'd murdered half the clan. He didn't deserve to live in peace.

And then there was Sasuke. His brother was young, volatile and extremely self-destructive. If he didn't stay to guide him, Sasuke might end up taking up arms against Danzo and the Leaf anyway, getting himself killed in the process. Sasuke was everything. Sasuke was all he had left. He'd promised his parents that he'd take care of his little brother, and that's what he was going to do.

"Then I shall stay."

"Thank you." Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. "Now could you put my friend down? You didn't hurt him too badly did you?"

On a distant tree, the half-formed body of a plant-like apparatus poked out of a large branch. Black Zetsu's voice rumbled angrily. "Uchiha Itachi. He's betrayed us."

White Zetsu sighed. "Let's go tell Obito."

-Intermission-

Kakuzu turned his head up as a beacon flew up in to the sky and popped. _About time_. "Hidan! Objective complete. We're getting out of here."

"Alright. Finally!" the immortal cried with relief as he barely dodged his opponent's attack. "Grab my left arm on the way would you?"

-Intermission-

Kakuzu glared at Itachi's newest partner. "Tobi."

"Yes! Kakuzu-senpai!"

"Where the hell is Itachi?" The man's voice dripped with malice.

"He's right behind me, he's right over... uhm. I swear he was there a while ago."

"You _useless-_ " A hand shot out at the orange swirl-mask in an attempt at murder. Picking up the movement with his Sharingan, Obito shot out a hand, deflecting the blow but losing his arm in the process.

Tobi instantly regrew the arm for him and began to voice a frantic apology. "Kakuzu-senpai! Tobi should've made sure that Itachi-senpai was following more closely. Tobi will do better next time. Tobi is a good boy!"  
 _I'm surrounded by idiots_. Kakuzu snarled and turned to leave.

Kakuzu's hand returned to his body with the severed arm still stuck to it, pieces of wood from the arm embedding into the Shinobi's body. The wood multiplied and Obito put his hands in a ram seal. Spikes of wood suddenly jutted out from every corner of Kakuzu's body, puncturing all his hearts. "' _Mokuton: Sashiki no Jutsu'_ "

Hidan's eyes widened as his partner fell over and died. "Not that he didn't deserve that but.. what the fuck are you doing?!"

"I'm fixing my mistakes." Obito turned his Sharingan on the silver-haired immortal. "And you're next."

* * *

-A/N-

I'm staring out a window as I write this. The moon is bright and sitting above ethereal-looking wisps of cloud. The sky glows a dank midnight blue around it. It's so beautiful. :')


	39. (5) Repatriation

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Hey. What's with the beautiful weather these days? It's almost like the sky is calling me out to play. And to that I say: _Gladly!_

* * *

The Hokage crushed the second invader to cross her path under her fist, literally turning the offending-nin into a pulp. For a two-hundred man army of Shinobi, they were relatively few and far between. And weak to boot, but it may just be the difference in power between a Kage and run-of-the-mill Ninja. Maybe.

An ANBU operator landed on the tree beside her. "Tsunade-sama!"

The Hokage crossed her arms. "Report."

The woman spoke frantically. "The Akatsuki. They're in our village."

 _Fuck_. Tsunade clenched her fists. "How many do we have engaging them?"

"As many as we could muster. They number only two, but we're having trouble subduing them. We may require more backup."

Another Shinobi poofed into existence. "Tsunade-sama, the invaders.. they're a lot less than we've estimated."

Tsunade frowned. "So it was a diversion. Call back our forces, we need them there to deal with the Akatsuki. We've nothing to fear from the weaklings out here."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

As they made their way back to the village, Tsunade's stomach turned with worry. She'd left a squad of ANBU with him, but even ANBU were no match for Akatsuki's S-ranked nin.. The way Kakashi - former ANBU Captain and assassination specialist - had been so easily defeated just a couple months back served as proof of the Akatsuki's prowess. Forcing Chakra through her system, Tsunade pushed her speeds to the limit. _Uzumaki Naruto. You'd better be safe._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Hokage-sama. The Akatsuki are retreating. Shall we give chase?"

Tsunade paused for a moment. "Send a team to track and follow them. I also want Uzumaki Naruto found and brought to my office as soon as possible. He should be in the shelters."  
"Yes, Hokage-sama." The Shinobi bowed and vanished in a body flicker only to be replaced by another.

Tsunade spoke in an assertive voice. "Report."

The woman nodded. "Squad three and five from the fourth quadrant have suffered zero casualties."

"What about the other squads?"  
The woman shook her head. "I don't know. They should be reporting back soon. Except for some who we suspect to be Iwa-nin, most of the enemy weren't very well-trained, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage nodded. "If they're as weak as you say, then I hope you have some of them captured. I want the contents of their brains picked clean by T&I by the end of the week. Dismissed."

Tsunade sighed. Two of her squads suffered no casualties, but such numbers were rarely ever reported consistently in such large-scale assaults. Plus, the Akatsuki had no doubt dealt a heavy blow to those who'd been fending them off while she'd been away. She'd probably be spending the next several days in the hospital making sure that none of the critical patients keeled over to the other side.

The Kage swore under her breath. _Damned invaders. Why couldn't things ever just be peaceful?_

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto wasn't found where he was supposed to be. Instead, he turned out at the hospital, along with the squad that'd been there to watch him. Someone had knocked them all unconscious and left them on the hospital rooftop. They were discovered soon after by one of the sensor-nin, who noticed the blob of Chakra-signals lying above. How it was done without discovery was still uncertain, but what mattered was that the boy was safe.

Tsunade sighed. Meeting Naruto wasn't a luxury she had right now. She turned a disparaging gaze at the Shinobi kneeling in front of her.

The man spluttered. "Hokage-sama. There's an.. uhm.. issue. That is."

Tsunade frowned. It was the day after the invasion and she'd been up all night keeping tabs on a large circle of critical patients. Even with all her medical skills, several of them had been too close to the brink of death to be brought back, but damned if she didn't try. The Kage rubbed her eyes tiredly. The stuttering fool before her was pissing her off. "Cut the crap and tell me what I need to hear."

The messenger quailed at the woman's biting tone. "It's Uchiha Itachi. He requests an audience with you."

"You've captured him?!"

"N-no. We.." The messenger swallowed. "He came of his own volition."

"So you're just letting him walk around freely? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

The messenger quivered at his Hokage's imposing figure. "My apologies. His brother-"

"And you're letting him request an audience _.._ with _me_. Are you trying to get me assassinated?!" Tsunade stared down at the frightened messenger.

"N-no. Ma'am. I mean, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade glared at the cowering man. "Much as I enjoy scaring you out of your toes, you're wasting my time here."

The man bowed. "My apologies! Shall I grant them their request?"

The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Them?"

"Yes. Uchiha Sasuke is there as well."

Tsunade rolled her eyes. "I want all of you who know of or are involved with this situation in my office later this afternoon. I'm going to need to give a talk about letting S-ranked criminals walk around freely and allowing them to make requests to meet your Hokage."

The man ducked his head in penitence. "I shall notify our forces to engage them immediately."

"That won't be necessary. Tell them that I'm willing to meet them in about thirty minutes. They are not to be harmed."

"Yes Hokage-sama." The man bowed, dipping his face of confusion to the floor.

"Oh and Kirishima?"

"Yes Hokage-sama?"

"You _will_ deliver your reports in a concise and efficient manner in the future. Do you understand?" Kirishima gulped. The unspoken threat to his job loomed over his head. "Yes. Hokage-sama."

As the man left her presence, Tsunade sighed and pushed back the urge to break something. _How the other Hokages survived so long dealing with this crap is completely beyond me._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Itachi watched as his brother stared darkly at the door to the Hokage's room. Being sons of the Uchiha main family, they had been trained, at a young age, to always maintain clean manners and a dignified composure. Itachi excelled in this area, just as he did in almost any subject he put his hands to. His brother on the other hand.. well, one could say that Sasuke hadn't been old enough to complete his emotional training, but that would be disingenuous. Sasuke hated emotional training. If he was feeling happy, he smiled. If he was sad, he frowned, and it seems the years since the Massacre hadn't changed that.

Itachi silently let his guilt wash over his mind at the thought of his crime.

The Uchiha clan's leaders were resolute. The hatred that many of the villagers felt against the clan had lead to too many ugly social and political situations. The Uchiha were stigmatized for being the spawn of the evil known as Uchiha Madara. Plus, the Uchiha were too powerful - a threat to the balance of powers within the village, and they couldn't be trusted.

The Uchiha had swallowed their discontent for nearly a hundred years, but they weren't going to tolerate it any longer. If even the Hokage couldn't change the villager's spiteful prejudice, then it was time to replace the current system of power with something that could - even if it had to be done violently. Itachi had been there during the Clan Council's call for revolution. Several Clan Leaders had passionately spearheaded the movement.. including their father.

Thanks to Itachi's membership in the clan's innermost political circles, the Leaf was given a chance to preempt the coup.

Danzo was right. The coup was inevitable. Opening negotiations would have only given the clan a warning. The negotiations would fail, and a bloody uprising with massive casualties on both sides would have ensued. Regardless of who would have won, too many would have died, and the Leaf would've been no more. Word of the coup would reach the ears of the Leaf's political rivals, and the village would've been overrun.

Whether or not the civil war officially happened, the Uchiha clan would have had to be annihilated, and it was better to do it _without_ the civil war happening.. for the sake of the village. Danzo knew and recognized this. The Third, on the other hand, simply refused to see the truth. The Massacre was the only way to effectively stop the coup. He knew that. It was the only reason he'd agreed to do it.

And yet.. no matter how justified he was in his part in the Uchiha Massacre, his hands were still stained with blood. He'd still been the one to take the lives of his parents and his clansmen. Necessary or not, order or not, murder was murder. Itachi was both grateful and guilty that his brother had so easily forgiven him. He didn't deserve it, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't feel comforted by his beloved little brother's willful acceptance. _Even after all I've done to turn him to hatred.._

The ANBU guards at the doorway beckoned. "You may come in."

Sasuke shot up. "Nii-san. Let's go."

With a nod, they wordlessly made their way toward the meeting which would determine their fate.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Tsunade set down her paperwork and took another gulp of sake from her jar. "Alright. I'm ready. Shizune, call them in."

"Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Moments later, Konoha's number one rookie genin stepped through the door with one of the most notorious criminal on the continent trailing behind him.

The younger Uchiha stared at her with determined eyes. "Godaime Hokage. I have very important matters with regards to-"

Tsunade slammed a hand onto her desk and raised her voice. "Uchiha Sasuke. Let me tell you a couple things. One! You are standing before your Hokage. You have no right to initiate discussion."

The pink-haired Uchiha glared. "But my brother's innocent!"

The Hokage clenched her hand into a fist and smashed it into the desk again. The sturdy wood shook under the pressure. "Two! Your brother is still an S-ranked criminal as far as this village is concerned. He is a known member of the most dangerous criminal organization known to the five nations, and has been recorded to have taken part in several international crimes."

"But Danzo-"

"I'm not talking about the Massacre you _brat_. Now _shut up_ and _listen_."

The genin clamped his lips together, his expression set in a scowl of frustration.

Tsunade smiled. "As it happens, I already know everything about the Uchiha Massacre, and Danzo's been detained and interrogated. He is marked for execution in two weeks for his involvement with Orochimaru and for killing or abducting a number of Konoha citizens over the years in addition to building an illegal, private army."

 _But not for the Uchiha Massacre_. Sasuke tensed.

"Sasuke." Itachi spoke quietly, hiding his surprise at Danzo's incarceration under a calm demeanor.

Sasuke bit his tongue at the disapproval in his brother's voice and let his resentment drop.

Choosing to ignore the small show of conflict before her, Tsunade snapped up a sheet of paper. "You are here to request amnesty for your brother correct?"

Sasuke stared at the paper. "I am."

"I'm sure you realize all the implications of your request. The Uchiha's betrayal of the village will have to be made public, and your clan's reputation will suffer. You will lose the support of the Civilian government and council." Tsunade looked expectantly at the genin before her.

Sasuke nodded. "I am aware."

"Good. I have some paperwork I'll need you both to read and sign." The Kage turned her attention to the older Uchiha as the younger made his way toward her desk. "Uchiha Itachi. Knowing what I know, I am willing to grant your brother his request, but the decision is ultimately yours. Do you wish be absolved of your crimes and be reinstated as a citizen of the Leaf?"

Itachi paused. Even if the village forgave him, he could never forgive himself. Regardless of what anyone said, he'd still murdered his family. He didn't deserve redemption.

Noticing his brother's hesitation, Sasuke put down the documents in his hands and turned, his eyes almost accusing. The older Uchiha stared back at the genin's unflinching countenance. The choice was beyond him. It had been since the moment he'd revealed the truth to his stubborn little brother.

"Yes." Itachi replied.

"Then I have only one more thing to say to you." Tsunade examined the man's expressionless face for any signs of reaction. She sighed. _Whatever_. "Welcome home."

* * *

-A/N-

Milestone reached: Bring itachi back. I'm really tired. Probably going to duck out for a few days.


	40. (5) Reconciliation

Disclaimer: There should be a button I can click that will automatically have all my chapters display the words " **I don't own Naruto.** " in large bold letters up top. I'd be interested in seeing that implemented.. and maybe a random disclaimer generator too. Just for a variety. It'd certainly make the lives of all the Naruto fanfic authors a whole lot easier. I digress. *Ahem*

* * *

His father was considered one of the most powerful Shinobi of the village - a legend whose name bore even more weight than that of the three Sannin. Yet his name, his fame - his reputation - had all been ruined over the singular decision he'd made on the last mission before he took his own life. His father - kind, courageous, loving and loyal - had chosen to save his teammates' lives during a critical mission. The attempt to sabotage Kumo and Suna's alliance and turn the two nations against each other had failed the moment they recognized Konoha's legendary White Fang. Although he'd succeeded in saving his friends' lives, his actions resulted in Konoha's having to deal with the combined hostilities of both the lands of Wind and Lightning. Many had died for his mistake, and those who once praised him and called him friend turned around and cursed him. His own son's disapproval had been the last straw. The night Kakashi stormed out of the house - ashamed to even recognize this man who'd thrown away his mission for his team as his father.. that night was the night that Hatake Sakumo finally snapped.

When Kakashi returned that morning, he'd found the man lying in a pool of blood with a knife stabbed into his guts.

In the Shinobi world, those who abandon their mission are considered nothing more than trash, and Hatake Sakumo provided the perfect example of this widespread sentiment.

And yet even with such animosity against the conflicting ideal, one Shinobi believed the opposite. Those who abandon their mission are trash, but those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash. Uchiha Obito had always leaned more toward the idealistic and the impossible. Being an Uchiha dud didn't stop him from nursing towering ambitions and unfaltering beliefs. He'd followed his own creed until the very end, sacrificing his own life so that Kakashi could live.

It was then that Kakashi resolved to take Obito's compassion as his own. Even if his teammate were dead, his will would live on. Obito's constant cheer and stubborn friendship.. he didn't know how much he'd missed it until it was gone. His teammate's death taught him to finally place value in people as people instead of objectifying them for the purpose of some mission or goal.

Those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash.

Kakashi stared at the memorial stone. Was he abandoning his teammate by not giving him his trust?

What if this trust were betrayed? What if, like his father, he'd make the wrong decision? Trusting Obito was a risk to countless lives. His former teammate had shown himself to be a ruthless killer. The night of the Nine-tails had been one of the most horrible incidents the Leaf had ever suffered, leaving the survivors sunken in grief at the loss of their friends and family. And the massacre of the Uchiha.. so many pointless deaths.

These weren't just run-of-the-mill assassinations. Uchiha Obito was a mass murderer, and a powerful one at that. The Fourth was an idiot. Sentimental. Stupid. Letting the man go was one of the worst mistakes in judgment he could've ever made.

Kakashi closed his eyes against his inner turmoil. _Rin.. what do you think of all this?_

A voice from behind broke him out of his thoughts. "Figured you'd be here."

Kakashi twitched at the sound. _Fuck you Uchiha Itachi_. "Anko.."

" _Don't 'Anko' me._ " The kunoichi's voice took on a biting tone. "I haven't seen you in _two weeks_. Where the hell have you been?!"

"You went on a mission. Of course you haven't seen me in two weeks. How'd the mission go by the way?"

 _That doesn't answer my question.. that jerk._ The kunoichi rolled her eyes. "It's classified. I'm here and alive aren't I? I've been back for three days now. I got home just before the invasion happened. I couldn't find you anywhere. The Hokage said she hadn't sent you on any missions. You were on leave. I don't even remember the last time you went on leave. What's wrong?"

Kakashi shrugged. The last time he'd been on leave was after Rin's death. The Fourth Hokage had taken him off all mission rosters to prevent him from doing any more high-risk recon and assassinations. It'd probably saved him from a gruesome end at the hands of some foreign-nin in a distant country. "I needed some time alone. Nothing wrong with that."

Anko walked up to stand shoulder-to shoulder with the silver-haired Jounin. She stared into the memorial stone, looking for names that she'd recognize. "You could've come to me. Whatever is going on, you didn't have to suffer alone."

"You're a sadist." Kakashi made an exaggerated grimace. "You enjoy making people suffer. No thanks."

His companion scoffed. "I'm also the one that was there for you when your sensei died. Look. You may take this as an on and off thing, but I've been nothing but serious about this. About us. You know I wouldn't hurt you when you're in need of help."

Kakashi coated his voice with a tinge of disbelief. "What about that time you jammed a stick of dango in my mouth while I was lying paralyzed and _completely_ helpless?"

"That was different." The kunoichi groaned. "I swear, getting you to talk about your emotional problems is like trying to get you to eat dango. Seriously. I still don't understand how you can not like dango. Dango is amazing! I don't care what you tell me. I'm going to make you eat dango every day until you like it. It's bound to happen."

"See? Sadist." Kakashi smiled.

Anko bit her tongue. " _And_ you're going to tell me what's going on. I want to know why no one's been able to catch sight or sound of you since the invasion."

"I'm a Ninja. It's what I do." The Jounin replied nonchalantly.

Anko quelled a desire to snap at the infuriating man and sighed. She bumped her shoulder into that of her partner's. "My patrolling shift starts in about twenty minutes, and ends at six. I'm bringing dinner to your place after so you'd better be there. You're going to tell me the reason you've been moping around again. Got it?"

"One condition."

"Name it."

"You're not allowed to bring dango. It'll be the first step to curing you of your obsession."

Anko sighed. "I guess.." She turned to leave.

Kakashi gave her a small wave and an eye-smile. "See you tonight then."

With a nod, the kunoichi made her way out to the forests. After her shift, she'd have just enough time to get back, submit her report and buy some takeout.

She was also going to have to hide a box of dango in a storage scroll for after he'd gotten comfortable. If she bowed to his no-dango request now, she'd never get him to eat it again. It didn't matter how long or painful the process was going to be, he was going to learn to like dango whether he wanted to or not.(1)

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Nii-san. Stay here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Itachi stepped into the familiar room and sat on the table. His eyes flit over the clean counter and immaculate kitchen floor.

Sasuke turned one last look at his brother before running off. Ever since the Massacre, he'd allowed the majority of the estate to fall into disuse. He didn't have any visitors, and except for reminding himself of what he'd lost, there was no reason for him to be anywhere that he didn't need to go.

Darting into his room, Sasuke quickly snatched the broom and raced to his brother's room. He slid open the door to the garden, and took a deep breath. Large clouds of dust puffed upwards as he brushed the floor in wide sweeping movements, pushing the dust out into the open air.

After a few minutes, he turned to survey the room. It was satisfactory. Propping the broom in a corner, he ran to the storage room and pulled out a mat, a fuuton and a light cover. He turned and nearly crashed into his brother. "Wha-? Itachi. I told you to stay in the kitchen."

Itachi smothered the urge to smile at his brother's bemusement. He examined the items in the boy's hands. "Those are for my room?"

Sasuke nodded sheepishly. "I burned all your things when you left."

"I see."

Sasuke peered into his brother's face in an attempt to discern an emotion. "Your room's not ready. I'll tell you when it's done. Go back to the kitchen." With a quick step forward, he began making his way back to Itachi's room, but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Sasuke."

Sasuke turned in exasperation. "I won't take too long. I promise. _Just don't leave the kitchen!_ I'll-" Sasuke stopped as his brother gently prodded him on the forehead.

"Foolish little brother." Itachi chided with a smile. "We're setting up _my_ room together. Then we're clearing through the rest of the house. If we work quickly, we should be done in time for dinner."

 _Clearing through the house.. together._ Sasuke paused for a moment before his mouth slowly tilted into a grin. "I'll get more supplies."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

After a long afternoon of cleaning, the last Uchiha sat in the kitchen, sipping respective cups of warm tea.

Itachi's face held what might have passed for a contemplative look, but one couldn't really tell. He wore the same expression almost every waking moment. He set his cup down. "I'd like to meet your Jounin-sensei."

Sasuke stood up. "I know where he lives. Let's go."

"After we get something to eat."

"Sure." Sasuke nodded agreeably. "I know a nice, inexpensive place down in the market. I know you'll like it."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The restaurant manager smiled. "I'm sorry. We're.. full right now. Come back some other time."

Sasuke raised an incredulous eye. "What do you mean? Half those tables are empty."

The man gave a nod and several people stood, the smile still plastered on his face. "What I mean is that we refuse to serve anyone affiliated with the red-eyed traitors known as the Uchiha. If it weren't for the decree of the first Hokage, we would've kicked you out a long time ago. And to think that I used to pity you for losing your family." The man spat onto the dirt floor. "I say good riddance."

 _We sacrificed_ everything _you ungrateful-_ Sasuke's eyes flipped Sharingan-red, stifling fury searing in his chest. " _I'll show you good riddance_."

"Sasuke." Itachi's voice clipped into the ears of the younger Uchiha as he was held back by his brother's firm hold. "Don't."

"Nii-san.. _why_?!" Glowing eyes pierced coal-black ones.

Itachi shook his head before turning a sweeping gaze at the gathering of civilians and Shinobi who'd been drawn by the sound of the younger Uchiha's outburst and the sight of the Leaf's most renowned ex-criminal. With a small gurgle of Chakra in his voice box, the older Uchiha amplified the volume of his voice to discreetly exceed the noise of the busy street. "For the past hundred years, the Uchiha have fought and died for the Leaf. We've always been loyal. Yet you've done nothing but hate us. You envied our power, pushed us with your discrimination, refused us any position of power outside the military police, which was ceded to us by the Second Hokage himself. All this because of our eyes and our affiliation to Uchiha Madara. You seem to forget that when Madara called us to take up arms to rule the village, we refused his command. We sided with peace. We sided with _you_."

Itachi paused for a few brief seconds to let his words sink in. "It was your unreasonable prejudice which pushed my clan's elders to plan the coup. Your fear of our power turned to hatred, and your hatred forced the clan's retaliation. And here you are, turning your hatred against those of the Uchiha who've chosen once again to side with the village. And you have the gall to call us traitors. We've only ever wanted peace and equality, something that you've been stubbornly unwilling to give us for over a hundred years. As an Uchiha, as a fellow Citizen of the Leaf, and as one human being to another, is it really so much to ask for?"

His speech finished, the Uchiha stopped to gauge the reactions of the curious citizenry

"No it isn't." A man walked up with a woman following behind, and extended his hand. "Sarutobi Asuma." -Itachi paused to examine the scruffy man before reaching his own hand forward in a diplomatic fashion. They shook- "I've read about what you did. I am not proud of how some of my fellow villagers chose to treat you and your clan. You'd think they'd have learned after what they did to the Fourth Hokage's son." -the man turned a wry look to the offended-looking restaurant manager- "There will always be those who cast shadows of irrational fear, ignorance, and suffering, but they don't represent our people as a whole. My father, the Third, always strove for ideals of equality and understanding, and he died fighting to the very end for the sake of his ideals. As his son, I understand the extent of the sacrifice you've made for the sake of our peace." -Asuma bowed- "We are grateful for what you've done for the village and its people."

The woman stepped up next. "Yuuhi Kurenai." -she bowed- "For whatever it is worth, you also have my gratitude."

The small circle of audiences exploded into chatter. While some shook their heads in disgust at the display before them, others let themselves be swayed by the Uchiha's speech. The sharper ones did not fail to miss the social and political implications of the Uchiha's reconciliation with the village through the Third Hokage's son.

The indignant manager swore and turned on his feet, muttering under his breath. "Idiots all of you. Just wait 'til they stab you in the back."

Out on the storefront, Kurenai smiled. "Would you care to join us for dinner? We just happened to be cruising the street for a good place to eat, and we wouldn't mind a little company."

"It'd be a pleasure." Asuma chimed in with a nod.

"We'd be honored to join you." Itachi replied courteously. He turned his attention behind him. "Sasuke."

"I'm coming." The younger Uchiha gave the restaurant before him one last scathing glare. As they walked, he looked up at their newest companions. "I understand what you did there. Thank you."

Asuma nodded. "You've suffered more than enough. Both of you. It's the least we can do."

The four departed for a different establishment, and the people resumed their dinnertime activities.

* * *

A/N

(1) *cough* sadist *cough-cough*


	41. (5) Apology

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. My sisters are home! They have jetlag so they're still up. Unfortunately, it means that I'm also stuck sitting through early morning. Not that I don't do that normally, but this time I have an excuse! ^-^

* * *

It was some time after dusk, the sky a husky hue of stars against a dark bluish-black. A kunoichi leapt onto an apartment balcony with two small boxes balanced neatly on one hand. Sidling up to the door, she knocked loudly. "Good evening! Special delivery!"

The door opened and a man's voice sifted quietly into the night air. "Where is it?"

"Where is what?"

Kakashi stepped out, took the boxes, and sifted through its contents. "That's.. unusual."

The kunoichi smiled. "What's wrong? What're you looking for?"

Kakashi sent the woman a wry look. "The dango. Anko. I know you brought some. The question is.. where do you have it hidden?"

Anko smiled innocently. "What makes you think I brought dango? After you asked me not to bring it too."

"And you gave me a deliberately ambiguous response to my request." Kakashi replied evenly. "I'm not stupid you know."

Anko widened her eyes and put on an accusing tone. "You don't trust me? After all we've been through?"

"Frankly? No."

Anko grinned. "Well. As you can see, I have no dango on me. Am I clear?"

"We'll see." Kakashi replied. "Pakkun?"

A voice barked out from within the room. "I smell some traces of dango, but she doesn't have any on her at the moment as far as I can tell. Now if that's all, I'll be taking my leave."

"That is all." said Kakashi. His dog summon vanished in a puff of smoke. "Alright. I think you're clear. Come in. You must be hungry."

"Yeah." Anko sighed. "It's been a long day. I got some yakisoba and fish. Got anything to drink?"

"Yup. Water, tea, sake. Your pick."

The door shut with a click and the sound of their banter was cut off to the outside world.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kurenai nipped a piece of cake and looked across the table. "You'd make a great leader, Itachi-san. The way you handled that situation was impeccable. And that speech you gave.. I'm impressed."

"I was only speaking the truth." Itachi replied softly. "Your public acceptance has given us much needed support. Thank you."

"You're too kind." The Genjutsu Mistress fixed Itachi with a serious look. "So what do the Uchiha plan to do, now that they have an official head of clan?"

Sasuke broke in. "There is no clan. Everyone's gone. It's just the two of us. Nii-san wants to open the compound to other people. We have a lot of unused land, he thinks that allowing others into our community will help us get along better."

"And you don't?" Kurenai examined the younger Uchiha.

Sasuke laced his fingers together. "The place belongs to _our_ clan. It was given to us by Senju Hashirama, the First Hokage himself. Letting people in like that.. it'd be breaking up what little we have left."

"Foolish little brother." Itachi shook his head. "We're not selling. We're only leasing. The place will still be the Uchiha compound. We'll just have some new residents."

Asuma finished the rest of his rice and leaned forward. "Kurenai and I.. we've been looking for a place to settle down. We'd be interested in being the first of your tenants.." -he turned to his soon-to-be wife- "What exactly are we going to do again?"

Kurenai grinned. "We're opening up a special shop where we sell interesting things from all over the nation. Rarities, oddities, you name it, we'll have it."

"That's right." Asuma nodded. "I can already picture it. Sarutobi's Store of Wonders! Has a nice ring to it doesn't it?"

Kurenai nudged the man's shoulder and whispered. "We'll pick a better name later."

"What do you mean a better name?" Asuma nudged her back.

Kurenai shook her head. The two turned their attention back across the table.

Itachi poured himself a cup of tea slowly and deliberately as the couple looked at him expectantly. "I believe we can reach a settlement. Come by tomorrow morning and Sasuke will give you a tour."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "Why me?"

Ignoring his brother, Itachi continued. "Except for our home, the entire compound is open for leasing. We'll discuss the details of payment when you've picked a suitable place."

Asuma smiled. "Sounds interesting. Although.. our mornings are a bit busy. Kurenai and I can drop by at around lunchtime. We'll bring something over."

"In that case, Sasuke and I will both be available to give you the tour." Itachi paused. "We look forward to seeing you."

"We look forward to being there." Asuma sat back comfortably and sighed in satisfaction. Reaching into his pockets, he retrieved a cigarette and promptly stuck it in his mouth. He stopped. "You don't mind if I smoke do you?"

Itachi looked down at his brother. "Sasuke?"

Sasuke shook his head. "I don't mind."

Turning his attention back to Asuma, Itachi nodded. "Go ahead."

Sasuke spoke just as the bearded Jounin lit his cigarette. "How's Kakashi-sensei doing?"

Asuma shrugged. "He's been missing. Vanished the day he was released from the hospital. You're telling me you don't know?" -he smiled.- "I thought he was your Jounin-sensei?"

Sasuke resisted a groan. "He is, but I only just got back during the invasion, so I haven't really gotten a chance to see him yet. My brother.. I have an idea of what Kakashi went through." -Sasuke made a gesture toward the elder Uchiha sitting at his side- "He goes a bit overboard with his pretending-to-be-evil thing. He hasn't killed anyone though.. at least.. not anyone from the village."

"So.." Kurenai examined Itachi's unresponsive face. "What exactly _did_ you do to our resident copy-nin?"

Itachi returned the woman's gaze. "Genjutsu."

Kurenai smiled. "Yes. We kind of figured. Not going to spare us any details?"

"Let's just say Hatake Kakashi's seventy-two hours would have left most Shinobi shattered and out of commission for at least a year."

The Genjutsu Mistress widened her eyes in surprise " _Seventy-two hours?_ But we were only gone for about three minutes!?"

"Genjutsu." Itachi replied, as if the word explained everything.

"I have no idea what kind of genjutsu would do that. And I'm Konoha's 'Genjutsu Mistress'. They even said I was better than the Uchiha. Hell, _I_ thought I was better than the Uchiha." Kurenai shook her head sadly. "Looks like they were wrong."

Itachi smiled. "I am not most Uchiha."

"Apparently not." said Asuma as he savored the flavor of his smoke. "Didn't you join ANBU when you were twelve?"

"Thirteen."

"Right. Thirteen. Most of our kids are still Genin at thirteen. You're really something else."

"So I've heard." Itachi made a small gesture toward a small plate. "Would you like to take the last cake?"

"Nah." Asuma chewed his cigarette. "I'm done.. Kurenai?"

The woman looked across the table. "Sasuke?" -The boy shook his head. Kurenai smiled.- "Then I'll take it.. since none of you seem to have any qualms denying these absolutely delicious state-of-the-art cakes!"

Asuma chuckled. "I'll have to remember to stock up on these.. since you like them so much."

"No it's fine." Kurenai shook her head. "At this rate, you'll have me looking like one of the Akimichi."

"I don't see a problem with that." Asuma shrugged.

 _And that's why I love you._ Kurenai grinned. "Well I do. I like my current figure thank you very much." -she set a glow to her red eyes with a small genjutsu and turned her attention toward Itachi with a challenging look- "We're paying."

Itachi sipped his tea thoughtfully. "Is that so?"

"Mhm." Kurenai nodded. "We're not taking no for an answer."

"It'd be dishonorable for the Uchiha clan head to be allowed to shirk such minor expenditures."

Kurenai shook her head. "Clan head or not, you are our guests. We invited you. If you paid, it'd look as if we'd asked you to come just to get a free meal. We're paying."

Itachi gazed back steadily at Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress. "The fact that you're offering to pay shows that money isn't your motive. You're both Jounin am I correct?"

"We are. What's your point?"

"Jounin are generally very well-paid both for the missions that they do and for their general services. This meal is nothing to either of our sizable budgets. Consider this a courtesy from the Uchiha to those who first reached out to us from among the people of the Leaf."

 _Damn he's good_. Kurenai dropped the Genjutsu in her eyes. "You'll have to let us treat you next time then."

Itachi smiled lightly. "I believe that can be arranged."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

A noise muffled through the door. ' _Up here!_ '

The doorknob clicked futilely a few times. And then a knock.

Kakashi sighed. "I'll probably need to get that."

Throwing on his Jounin attire, Kakashi fit his mask snugly onto his face and made his way to the door.

Sasuke examined his Jounin-sensei. "Kakashi. My brother would like to talk to you."

"You're _brother_?!" Kakashi's eye widened as he caught sight of the older Uchiha.

Itachi bowed slightly. "Hatake Kakashi. I believe we haven't been formally introduced." He put forth a hand. "Uchiha Itachi, head of the Uchiha clan and Sasuke's older brother."

ignoring the hand, Kakashi stared silently at the ex-criminal for several moments. " _You sadistic fucker. You.. you sick, demented, lowliest piece of shit under the Sun_. Do you have _any_ fucking idea what it was like going through 9345 repetitions of _sheer physical torture_?"

Itachi withdrew his hand. "You counted?"

"Of course I counted! Is that all you have to say?!"

The Uchiha bowed. "My deepest apologies. Words cannot even begin to express my regret."

Kakashi pushed back his desire to stab the man until he begged for mercy and settled for a glare. "What do you want?"

Shaking off the unexpected surprise of Kakashi's reaction, Sasuke took on an aggressive stance. "Oy! Kakashi! My brother gave everything for the village. The least you can do-"

"I know why he did it." Kakashi interrupted. Sasuke flinched at the man's unusually sharp tone. "Doesn't make what he did any less fucked up."

Sasuke put his hands on his hips. "He did the same to me."

"Oh did he?" Kakashi asked. His tone was utterly dry of humor. "He hammered me into the ground with forty Kunai nine thousand three hundred and forty-five times. What'd he do to you?"

"He made me-" Sasuke stopped. ' _hammered into the ground with forty Kunai nine thousand three hundred and forty five times'_ "Oh.."

Kakashi frowned. "I'm not in the mood for this right now. Come back later. Tomorrow. Day after. Any time you want, but not today. I need some time to sort this through."

Itachi nodded. "As you will. I'm glad for your swift recovery."

"Gracious.. I suppose." Kakashi smiled. "Bye." He shut the door, and turned as the sound of the Uchiha's departure faded into the distance. "Now. Where were we?"

He barely had time to register the stick of dango before his mask was torn down and he was promptly shoved into a wall.

He managed one final thought before the disgustingly sweet ovular confection was choked into his mouth. _I KNEW IT! I KNEW SHE WOULD-_

Kakashi gagged.

* * *

-A/N-

I went out to buy Subway's Italian BMT since it was on sale today. And surprise surprise, I got there the moment it closed! AAAHHH!

I had to take the long walk back home.. empty-handed. It was the worst.

Anyway. This ends arc (5).

I need rest. Sleep. And lots of it.


	42. (6) Deconstruction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. There was a thunderstorm last night. My sisters and I were out to see the lightning and count down the timer for the thunder to roll into our ears. It was terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

* * *

Sanaki Naoto knelt quietly in her large and empty home, letting the quiet smother her misery. The invasion had failed. The Akatsuki had failed. Namikaze Minato lived.

For the first time since the Massacre, the formidable Iwa councilwoman cried. _Sachi. Aiko. Akiko. I've failed you._

The woman was so immersed in her grief that she didn't even notice as she was surrounded by several Shinobi. The masked ANBU-nin held her down, one at each arm, preventing her from performing any Jutsu or making any movement that would have allowed her to escape.

The woman struggled to no avail. She put a commanding tone to her voice. "Who are you? Let go of me."

One of the Shinobi shook her head. "We cannot do that, Sanaki-sama."

 _Sanaki-sama.. Iwa-nin._ Naoto grit her teeth. "I will not abide by this insolence. You will unhand me _now_ or I'll-"  
"Naoto-chan." A voice broke in, stern and grandfatherly. Stepping gingerly into the room, the small form of Iwa's Tsuchikage melted out of the shadow.

Naoto stared accusingly at her Kage. "Tsuchikage-sama! What is this about?"

The old man sighed. "Naoto-chan..I know everything about the attempt to assassinate the Yellow Flash and the dealings with the Akatsuki. I've already apprehended the rest of the Council responsible for this breach in authority, and all hands point to you." The old man paused to take a breath. Naoto's mind numbed. They'd been caught, and the rest of the Council were pinning the blame on her. "You are under arrest for deliberately disobeying your Kage's orders and provoking unwanted hostilities."

Naoto's voice dropped into a whisper. "Tsuchikage-sama.."

"I'm sorry." The old man's voice softened. "I'm sorry it had to turn out this way. I understand-"

"You understand nothing!" Naoto screeched. "Iwa shouldn't have to bow to the Leaf just because it has a stronger military! You're the Tsuchikage! You could've destroyed them easily! Your cowardice has allowed Iwa to be bullied for far too long. You've forgotten the pain that was inflicted on us eighteen years ago! You've forgotten our fallen comrades. Our family! Our people! You've forgotten what _he_ did to us! Your _peace_ is nothing but a _lie!_ While _they_ lay dead, _Namikaze Minato_ lives happily with his _son_." Spitting the name onto the floor, Naoto's voice wound down. "You've forgotten what it means to bring justice upon those who cause such evils to our nation. My husband, my brothers, my _daughters_ and the Shinobi of Iwa.. they didn't deserve what he did to them. None of them did. You must understand.."

Onoki watched silently as the woman lost herself in a fit of tears. "Naoto-chan. It is precisely because I remember the pain of the past that I refuse to risk the lives of our present Shinobi on pointless vengeance. I've lived long enough to know that the path you're taking will only inflict more pain both to the enemy and our own people. Iwa or not, we are all human beings. The Shinobi world is already filled with enough pointless fighting and death.. would you have me cause more of both to the peoples of of our nations?"

"Yes." Naoto replied with absolute surety. "If it would would bring justice to our dead."

"Then you have lost your way." Onoki's voice inflected heavy and sad. "The dead will always be dead. We can't bring them back. We must value the lives of those who are still alive. For their sake, and for the sake of those around them. You are my children. I will not stand for any more suffering if it can be avoided." The old man paused to examine the woman bound before him. "We are lucky the Leaf did not decide to retaliate, Naoto-chan."

Naoto knelt silently, refusing or unable to respond any further. Onoki looked into the deadened eyes of his former advisor. The Leaf's terms of peace have been more than accommodating. There were no requests for monetary reparations. No forced concessions of land or political power. No nonsense. The only demand they'd made was for the recognition of a simple treaty of alliance and non-aggression to 'end the pointless hostilities between our peoples' in the Hokage's own words. Even with all his considerable cynicism, the old Tsuchikage had to admit that the Leaf was being incredibly lenient. It seems that the elusive peace that he'd always strove for was finally within reach. If Konoha and Iwa could come to friendly terms, then anything, even an end to Nations' millennia-old cycle of hostilities, was possible. And this stubborn old man, this unyielding rock of Iwa, was finally going to reach out of his lifelong shell and make his ancestors' dream a reality.  
Onoki turned his gaze away from the woman and sighed. "Let her go. I will talk to her tomorrow. Do not let her leave this house. From hereon forth, the word of Councilwoman Sanaki no longer holds any power in Iwa. Akatsuchi. Take me home."

"Yes, Tsuchikage-sama." The large Shinobi said as he hefted the old man into his arms.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Zetsu merged out of the forest floor. White Zetsu broke the news first. "Obito. Uchiha Itachi's betrayed us."

Obito clenched his fists. " _What?!_ "

"The organization is crumbling. We _must_ get Nagato to revive Madara. It's the only chance at obtaining the Bijuu that we have left." Zetsu examined the scene. "Obito.. where's Kakuzu and Hidan?"

Obito frowned, his voice tinted with fury. "Kakuzu's been killed, and Hidan was sealed away."

 _No way.._ White Zetsu gaped. "How?!"

"Namikaze Minato.. he wasn't such a fool after all."

"What do you mean?"

"What I _mean_.." Obito growled in exasperation. "Is that while he's removed most of the seals he placed on me, the Yellow Flash conveniently forgot to remove his Flying Thunder God seal."

 _So the Yellow Flash was using Obito to track the rest of the Akatsuki_. _And he's defeated both Kakuzu and Hidan_ Black Zetsu mused. "What's stopping him from coming back?"

"If I had to guess, he's waiting until I get back into Akatsuki's headquarters before he makes his next move." Obito explained. "Unfortunately for him, I will no longer play the fool. The seal is keyed to my central Chakra coil. I'll need you two to tear it out."

"Tearing out your central Chakra coil.. while such a procedure would kill normal men, you are anything but normal." said Black Zetsu. "It will be very painful, and the recovery process will be long, even with Tobi's help."

"It is necessary." Obito's voice filled with resolve. "For the sake of peace, this pain is _nothing_."

"Very well." Black Zetsu spoke his approval. "Lie down, Obito."  
The Uchiha complied. Zetsu swiftly lifted the man's shirt and placed its white hand on the exposed navel. "Is the seal here?"

"Yes." Obito replied, and suddenly, splinters of wood crawled up the white arm.

"What's this?" White Zetsu asked curiously. It was his last words before the wood sprouted over him with sudden speed, enveloping him in its grasps and crushing him within its shrinking confines.

Black Zetsu, being more aware of what was happening, instantly split from his other half before the wood could reach him. The black miasma vanished into the Earth, escaping just moments before a massive trunk of wood thundered out from where it was previously standing.

Obito frowned. Black Zetsu had gotten away. Which means..

The Uchiha's eyes widened in horror. _Pein_.

Tobi sighed as he examined the ball of wood in which the remains of White Zetsu were held. "I wish we'd gotten Blackie instead."

Ignoring the comment, Obito furrowed his brows. "Guruguru. Take me to Nagato."

"Him? What do you want to see _him_ for?" Tobi replied cheerfully as he wrapped his friend's body in his own.

Obito's voice took on a desperate edge. "We need to get there before Zetsu does"

They sunk into the ground and vanished.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Black Zetsu seethed as he pinpointed the spot at which he was to emerge. The plan had been going so well. He'd had Madara spun around his finger. The old Uchiha had foolishly believed him a mere servant. _Madara's Will_. The egotistical man had even dubbed _him_ , the child of Kaguya, with his name. Madara was a fool, but a useful fool.

Zetsu re-emerged in the highest room of Ame's tallest man-made structure. "Madara's betrayed us."

Konan turned aggressively. " _Zetsu!_ You were told to only report to Tendo. Leave us this instant."

"Konan." Konan reluctantly bit back her complaints at the voice. From atop a small domed contraption stood the body of the Akatsuki's leader. Numerous rods of metal jutted out of his thin back and shoulders,

Taking the admonishment as his signal to continue, Zetsu continued. "He's been lying the whole time. He's not really Uchiha Madara. His name is Uchiha Obito and he was once a citizen of Konoha. It appears that with the return of his former mentor, Namikaze Minato, he's realigned himself back with the hidden Leaf village. He's even convinced Uchiha Itachi to defect with him."

Nagato frowned. He had not expected to hear this. The man who called himself Madara had been central to the Akatsuki's current curriculum, and had been the one who guided them in its initial stages. Even if he was a fake, this man had still been powerful enough to convincingly assume the name of the legendary Uchiha. And yet. Zetsu and Madara had approached the Akatsuki together. If Zetsu was speaking the truth now, then it must have been lying and helping this 'Uchiha Obito' deceive him for the past decade. He didn't doubt that the plantman had been speaking the truth about this betrayal, but the fact remains that Zetsu could no longer be trusted.

"I see." Nagato spoke grimly. "We'll need to notify all the other members of this new situation."

Zetsu bowed. "I'm afraid except for Uchiha Itachi who's also betrayed us, the rest of them are dead."

 _Dead?!_ Konan reeled. Just days before, this organization contained individuals more powerful than Kage.. individuals with the ability to subdue Bijuu and run circles around some of the strongest Shinobi on the continent. "Nagato. The Akatsuki.. we're falling apart. There's no one left."

"No." Nagato trained his Rinnegan eyes on the black form before him. "I am still here. These traitors will find that God will not be so easily challenged.. nor deceived."

A rod of black metal shot out from the contraption, stabbing Black Zetsu in its face.

The plantman froze in shock as the Chakra within it was distorted and made dysfunctional. This close to the Uzumaki Rinnegan wielder, it lacked the power to resist the power of the man's Chakra and could neither move nor heal its wound.

As Black Zetsu died, it gasped its final words. "Rinne Tensei. Revive. Madara. He's the only one left who can cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi. You must.."

Nagato shut his eyes in thought. The Eye of the Moon.. an illusion of peace that is nothing more than just that. An illusion. He was going to create true peace, and for that he'd still need the nine Bijuu. Regardless, Madara's part in his plans were at an end. And Uchiha Obito.. _a pity. H_ _e has been useful_.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Tobi burst out of the ground with his friend wrapped inside him. Obito voice carried heavily into the underground cavern. "Zetsu's betrayed us."

Pein stared at the Uchiha with silent appraisal and wordlessly raised a hand. ' _Bansho Ten'in_ '

Obito jumped to the side futilely as the gravitational pull of the technique sent his body flying toward the metal rod that appeared out of nowhere right into the Deva Path's hand. Without time to perform any Jutsu, Obito prepared to sacrifice his right eye when the rod stopped inches from his face, a mass of white the only thing stopping the Chakra-distorting weapon from puncturing him between the eyes.

Obito's heart sank as his friend's voice cheered weakly. "Go Obito.. good.. luck."

Obito's eyes instantly filled with tears as his friend's life wilted away. " _TOBI_ "

The Deva Path spoke impassively. "It appears you've been deceiving me, Uchiha _Obito_. You and Zetsu. The Akatsuki will no longer require your services." Another rod slid out of Pein's sleeves, and he raised it up, stopping only to offer last words before stabbing the weapon into his former ally. "May you rest in peace."

While the Deva Path spoke, Obito sent tendrils of wood shooting toward it in retaliation. The wood shattered against an invisible field of gravitational force, but provided a shield against the metal rod. Obito leapt back quickly as the rod embedded into the wood. _Tobi you idiot! You didn't have to-_

"' _Bansho Ten'in!'_ " Obito's eyes widened in despair as his body once again shot forward, this time with even greater speed. He didn't have time to mold his Chakra for any Jutsu. The Sharingan in Obito's right eye faded into an opaque, sightless white as the rod stabbed into his heart. He died, and his body collapsed onto the floor, vanishing moments after.

 _Izanagi_.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Obito ran. He didn't have much time. The rain was everywhere and soaked into his clothes, every drop sending a signal of his location to the terrifyingly powerful Rinnegan user. No longer able to instantly transport to any single location, Obito pushed Chakra into his limbs as he raced through the rain. _If only I had my Kamui._

Overhead, Pein was flying toward him. He wasn't going to outrun the Deva Path.

Just over the horizon, he could sense Nagato's massive bird summon getting closer with the Animal Path on its back. _Which means the rest will soon follow_.

Obito desperately flared his Chakra into the Flying Thunder God seal scrawled on his stomach. _Minato-sensei! Minato-sensei!_ " _Minato sensei! Hurry!_ "


	43. (6) Flashback

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. But neither do you!

* * *

Near a cave at the rainy borders between the Lands of Rain and Fire, Minato's eyes flicked open as he lost his meditative concentration. Flashes of Chakra flared against his consciousness like a beacon. He breathed a sigh of relief. The disruption to the intake of Natural Chakra was _dangerous_. The fact that the interruption hadn't caused him to turn to stone was a stroke of fortune (and skill). He'd expected at least a few more hours for a longer iteration of Sage mode, but he couldn't ignore this obvious signal for help.

Gently, he prodded Jiraiya, who was sitting in a similar stance. Jiraiya slowly opened his eyes, the Nature Chakra distorting the colors of his irises with bright pigmented color. If they were going to face the legendary Rinnegan, they were going to be at their best and ready.

"Jiraiya-sensei. Obito is signalling for help. I'm leaving."

Jiraiya frowned. "You'll do no such thing. We already talked about this. He knows about your seal now. I can think of at least twenty different ways to set up a trap for that. He could have something there ready to attack you the moment you appear. He could be using poison gas to preempt your arrival. It's too risky."

"He's my student. What if he died when I could've saved him?"

"He's also committed the worst crimes in recorded history. Why can't you just _listen_ to what everyone's telling you? Don't be an idiot. If I lose you.. if your son loses you again, I will _never never_ forgive you. You can't-"

"I can. And that's why I will. You can't stop me. And don't use my son to threaten me. I don't need you to tell me what I already know."

"Minato, wait!" Jiraiya frantically got up to do something - anything - to keep his student from leaving.

Minato stopped. Another signal flared into life. It was from one of his Hiraishin Kunai, which were generally dormant after long periods of disuse until he explicitly reached out to it or until it was jarred by some blunt physical impact. It was the one he'd given to Naruto's friend. He could easily recognize the layout of training ground number three. Uchiha Sasuke, _Uchiha Itachi_ , and hanging over Itachi's shoulder with his Chakra almost nonexistent.. was the limp form of a child. _His_ child. _Naruto_.

Mistaking Minato's silent pause for a concession to his plea, Jiraiya sighed. "Look I know how hard this is for you, but you have to consider-" Minato vanished, leaving the Sage gaping at the spot in which his student had been standing just moments before. "Minato _you IDIOT!_ "

* * *

-Moments before-

* * *

"Thank you." Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief. "Now could you put my friend down? You didn't hurt him too badly did you?"

 _Friend.._ Itachi withheld a smile out of habit as he recalled the Jinchuuriki's angry declaration: ' _I'm more of a brother to him than you will_ ever _be!_ '

Wordlessly, Itachi laid Naruto on his back and lifted his shirt. He put his hand over the Eight Trigram seal that held the Nine-tails. "I've disseminated his Bijuu-seal's connection to his Chakra coils. His pathways are no longer suitably functional."  
Sasuke knelt on the other side of his friend's body, his voice filled with concern. "Is that why he's not waking up?"

Itachi nodded. "The symptoms are not dissimilar to Chakra exhaustion. Unfortunately, I do not have the sealing expertise to reconstruct the seal. His link to the Nine-tails has become key to his survival. With his normal Chakra, he has a week, perhaps a few days more.. just enough time for us to have extracted the Bijuu from him."

Sasuke's face took on a pensive look. "You were really planning on killing him weren't you?"  
Itachi quietly made an attempt to redraw the seal and failed. He frowned.

" _Itachi."_ Sasuke snarled, his brother's lack of response confirming the answer to his question. "I know you wanted me to hate you, and I know why.. but this is going _too far_. I can't believe you!"

Itachi made one last attempt to fix the seal. Who knew whether or not Konoha's medic-nin were capable of correctly diagnosing Naruto's problem and identify the seal as the source? Sasuke's condemnation of his actions weren't untrue. He had taken things too far, and now this blonde who Sasuke seemed to treasure so much was in peril unless he did something about it. Then there were also the ANBU-nin that he and Tobi had incapacitated earlier. He was probably going to have to signal to the Leaf-nin for help which also meant turning himself in. Itachi stood, hefting Naruto back over his shoulder. "We'll need to take him to the hospital. Only Jiraiya or the Fourth will be able to fix the seal."

Sasuke stared at his brother in disbelief, his face fraught with worry. "What if they're not in the village? It's not like we can expect them to just magically be here all the time!" _Wait_. He suddenly recalled the parting gift that he'd been given in what felt like a lifetime ago. Reaching into his pouch, he fingered the three-pronged weapon. ' _Signal me by throwing it. I'll be there whenever you need me.'_

Sasuke pulled out the kunai and hurtled it to the ground.

Itachi narrowed his eyes. The Hiraishin Kunai was an internationally recognized artifact by anyone who knew anything about the Yellow Flash. The fact that Sasuke had one was.. unusual. _Namikaze Minato. Are you really willing to go that far to protect my little brother?_

Sasuke frowned. "Looks like he's not-"

A flash of yellow hair flared into existence, and Itachi found himself staring into the angry orange irises of Konoha's former Kage. " _Put my son down_."

Itachi gently laid the Jinchuuriki onto the floor while Sasuke did his best to explain the situation. "There was an invasion by Iwa and the Akatsuki to capture Naruto, and I just got here a moment ago and my brother-"  
"I understand." Minato interrupted. After having faced both the Akatsuki and several Iwa squads himself, the attempt to capture Naruto wasn't hard to surmise. The Uchihas' docility also meant that Naruto's friend ( _why is his hair pink?)_ had in some way or another convinced his rogue brother to show him the truth, and had further convinced him to at least cooperate in this instance.

Sensing almost no Chakra emissions from his son, Minato lifted the orange coat and put a palm on the Eight Trigram seal scrawled over the boy's central Chakra coil. After a moment, the seal was fixed and the former Kage nodded satisfactorily. "I'll be taking him to the hospital."

At that, Itachi's eyes flicking momentarily to the nearby incapacitated ANBU-nin. "His ANBU attachment will also need medical attention."

Minato nodded. "I'll be leaving them on the hospital roof. They should be found soon after. If not, I'll need one of you to notify the hospital staff." He finished the last sentence with a pointed look at Sasuke.

Sasuke merely looked confused. "Why the roof? Why not-"

Before Sasuke could finish his sentence, the former Kage had already vanished along with his son. Minato reappeared on the marker that he'd placed on the hospital rooftop and laid Naruto gently in the shade. He flashed back to Sasuke's Hiraishin kunai. Ignoring the Uchiha, he easily found the unconscious squad of ANBU and took them one at a time, laying them out next to his son. With the last ANBU-nin stretched across the tile surface of Konoha's hospital, Minato returned to the Nation of Rain. He didn't have time to go about the inevitably lengthy procedure of formally interning eight people into the hospital. He didn't have time to explain. Obito's Chakra signal was gone.

* * *

-A/N-

Short update. I'm having writer's block. Icky.


	44. (6) Death

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Or I did. In my dreams, but all dreams come to an end.

* * *

"' _Mokuton: Jukai Koutan!"_ The earth trembled as enormous spines of wood snapped out of the ground. Dropping his snake seal, Obito resumed his flight while flaring his depleting reserves of Chakra. _Minato-sensei! Come on!_

Rippling Rinnegan eyes shone down impassively from the sky. With the many jet-black rods and the legendary Doujutsu injected into his face, the former leader of the Akatsuki looked many times more imposing in death than he had in life.

"' _Shinra Tensei!'"_ Obito grimaced as the giant spines of wood that he'd sent jutting toward the corpse was blasted downward by the powerful gravitational technique of the Deva Path. The force carried further down, flattening the Uchiha along with innumerable chunks of wood. Obito grit his teeth as his face was crushed into the softened dirt. A hundred-meter, semi-circled imprint was thundered into the ground around him. He supposed he was lucky. Lucky that the rain had turned the hard earthen path into mud. Lucky that Nagato's sentimentality had pushed him into splitting his formidable powers into six separate bodies. He couldn't imagine facing the wielder of the Rinnegan with all his power and Chakra concentrated in one body.. at least not without his Kamui. Of course, separating the powers of the Six Paths into six different corpses had its advantages, but that was not the reason Nagato had done it. To the begrieved Uzumaki, Yahiko would always be the leader of the Akatsuki. It was simple as that.

As the pressure on his body relented, Obito quickly rolled around, ignoring the mud on his face, and put his hands in a seal. "' _Katon: Goka Mekkyaku!'_ " After taking a deep breath, an immense wall of fire fanned out of his mouth, covering the sky in a massive blaze toward the falling form of the Deva Path. The stronger the force used by the Deva Path's gravitational technique, the longer it took for him to recover enough power to use another one. It had no way to avoid being burned to dust on its own. Even so, there were several other ways for Nagato to counter such a technique. Not waiting for the flames to clear, Obito quickly sunk into the ground using Diedara's favorite hiding technique. ' _Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu'_.

Safely underground, Obito once again began to weigh his options. He could hide here for as long as his Chakra reserves held. Theoretically, no sensor could penetrate the technique. On the other hand, it rendered him immobile until he came out, which would be when and if he decided to mount a counterattack. Obito nearly laughed at the prospect. If he had his Kamui, he might have been able to fight the Rinnegan user on more even grounds. Even with his perfection of the Sharingan's powerful Genjutsu under Madara's guidance, it simply didn't work against the Rinnegan. He could no longer fire pulses of Chakra into Minato's seal either. It'd give him away instantly. Being ironically overmatched against a ridiculously powerful doujutsu, his only option was to wait. He was however out of Chakra. His liberal use of several large-scale jutsus had left him drained, leaving him with only a few more minutes at most before he was hit by Chakra exhaustion. Closing his eyes, the Uchiha's thoughts formulated into a plea. _Minato-sensei.. hurry.._

A short distance away, a large and ugly bird swooped in and landed from under the dissipating flames of the massive Fire Release technique. The Deva Path which had been summoned out of the air and away from Obito's wide-ranged wall of fire leapt off the bird's back and was followed by the Animal Path, who slapped her palm onto the mud. "' _Kuchiyose no Jutsu'!_ "

Suddenly, six pairs of Rinnegan eyes were looming on the end of the field in which Obito had been standing. Inside the nearby tower, Nagato's mind raced in calculation. Obito's Chakra had sunken into the earth where it was now invisible. If Obito was anything like Zetsu, he'd be long gone. However, Nagato's eyes hadn't missed a thing. The thing that had accompanied the Uchiha had been what'd brought him here. Now the thing was dead and this Obito was alone. For some reason or another the man was no longer capable of traversing space-time or phasing through objects, but neither should he have Zetsu's ability. He was most likely somewhere underground in the wide three-hundred meter radius plot of earth that spanned before his Six Paths, but exactly _where_ underground was an entirely different question. Obito had come to him under the guise of Uchiha Madara. His convictions for his plans - the illusion of peace - were real. _What changed?_

The Deva Path clapped his hands together furiously, roaring in effort.

The entire swathe of earth ruptured up into the air with Obito inside it. The city-sized chunk flew up quickly, large reserves of mud flinging off and raining onto the ground.

Inside, a pit of fear sweltered in Obito's stomach as he felt the upward vertigo of the Deva Path's gravitational technique. _He couldn't have known! He couldn't!_

Before he could properly internalize his shock, Obito could feel the block of land careening downwards at terrifying speeds. This deep inside, he would be crushed along with the rocky material that surrounded him. Right before the earth-shaking collision, Obito shot up out into the air to the sight of the Animal Path sitting on top of a bird with the Asura Path and the Human Path facing two other directions to scout his appearance. Even with the abilities of the Deva Path temporarily disabled, Nagato silently let a feeling of satisfaction sink in. _Found him._

At the same time, there was a distortion in the air, and suddenly, the Uchiha wasn't alone. Obito allowed a small measure of relief to touch him as he let his mind fade into darkness.

The new arrival let Obito fall gently into his arms and grimly took stock of the situation. "So you're Nagato, leader of the Akatsuki."

Up in his tower, Nagato frowned. For this stranger to know his name, it seems the Uchiha traitor had already revealed everything. The threat to his plans were worsening. If he could remove both the Uchiha and this new arrival, then he'd have a better chance to complete his objectives. He'd also have to do it before they disappeared. He only had one chance. Nagato pursed his lips with determination as he set up the attack. He had to stall. "The Yellow Flash, Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. Why did Uchiha Obito betray the Akatsuki?"  
Minato narrowed his eyes as he felt the fire-propelled explosive projectiles home in from behind him. It was one of the perks of being a sensor-nin in Sage mode. He could feel everything in the proximity, and this obvious trap was no exception. Minato glared at the impassive face of the orange-haired female who had spoken and vanished.

The missiles flew through empty air, missing its targets.

Nagato clenched his jaws.

Konan stared into the angry visage of the emaciated man. "He's escaped?" It was more a statement than a question. She examined her partner. It'd been a long time since he'd shown any emotion other than annoyance and apathy. She'd have preferred it to have been something other than anger, but she'd take what she could get.

Nagato quickly resumed his impassive countenance. "Peace eludes us."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Minato _you IDIOT!_ " The Toad Sage yelled into empty space. His student was gone, and now he was stuck here, alone, on the outskirts of the Nation of Rain.

Jiraiya sighed. The stubborn blonde had always been headstrong. Being dead for twelve and a half years had apparently done nothing to change that. It was painfully obvious that Naruto had inherited his father's unyielding attitude. It came as a boon when it came to accomplishing long-term objectives or training, but in cases such as these when they ran off into these potentially life-threatening situations, Jiraiya couldn't help but want to tug at his hair in worry.

There was nothing he could do now but to stay and provide a safe-point for Minato to flash to. If his student didn't return by the end of the day, he would have to assume the worst and continue the mission alone.

Jiraiya sat in a meditative pose as he calmed his frazzled nerves. Several minutes later, Minato appeared to the sight of the Toad Sage sitting with his eyes closed in deep concentration. He sighed as he let his voice carry out softly. "Jiraiya-sensei."

Jiraiya slowly emerged from meditation, his emotions firmly in control. "That was quick."

"It was Naruto. They signalled me from the village. But Obito.. his Chakra's gone. I think he's-" _dead_.

Minato froze as his student's Chakra flared back into life. "I'll be right back." He gave his mentor an apologetic smile and vanished.

Jiraiya just sighed in resignation.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Even outside of the Nation's borders, the rain continued to drizzle at the edges of the Land of Fire. Overcast clouds was not only the norm, it appeared to be the Nation's eternal setting. Even with the warm fire flickering under the cover of the shelter that they'd erected, the place was just irreparably gloomy. It didn't help that Jiraiya's paranoia was dampening the already raintrodden air. "Oy. Minato. I'm talking to you."

"I found him fighting the leader. Considering that and all the information he's given us.." Minato sighed at the sight of his mentor's deadset expression. "I'm not going to seal him up again. He'd just let me do it, which is just another reason to trust him."

Jiraiya gave his own sigh. He wasn't generally a cynical man. In fact, Orochimaru used to chide him for being too trusting. But coming from one of the most paranoid man alive, that probably didn't mean much. Still, this wasn't just some random case of vague scepticism. Obito's telling of his past fifteen years showed that he was more than capable of multiple levels of deception, manipulation and outright cruelty. "Maybe he's acting just to gather intel on us. Maybe he's just waiting for the perfect time to inflict the most amount of damage possible. Think about what you told me about him. Don't tell me you don't think he's capable of doing something like that." In terms of manipulation, Obito was even worse than Orochimaru, and Orochimaru was as bad as it gets when it came to such things.

"If he was going to try anything he could've done so by now." Minato looked patiently at his mentor.

Jiraiya arched an eyebrow at his student's unfazed countenance. _Is he.. is he looking down on me?!_ He snorted before letting the situation pull his head back into full-blown laughter. "Look at you.." -he chuckled, his laughter dying down- "you've really taken what I've taught you about understanding and forgiveness to heart. Now you're the one trying to convince _me_.." Jiraiya's words broke off in another bout of laughter.

Minato relaxed. "I'm going to get more firewood." He turned his eyes, settling a quick gaze at the dreary figure of his own student. Obito lay exhausted on the semi-dry carpet of grass and dirt. A quick diagnosis had shown his Chakra to be depleted. Wherever he'd gotten his new eyes, one of them was no longer functional while the other was stuck perpetually as an activated Sharingan.

Just like that, he felt a sudden urge to grab the man by his neck. Obito was the one who'd attacked the village and caused the Uchiha Massacre. Naruto's ostracization and the Uchiha brothers' sacrifice had been only a small sample of the pain that his student had caused. Minato hung his head. This wasn't right. He shouldn't blame his student. Obito was what his circumstances had made him, nothing more. Giving in to his impulses didn't solve anything. Reasoning with Jiraiya had been easy. Reasoning against his own doubts had been many times more difficult, even as he'd desperately clung onto the happy image of the cheery, compassionate and hardworking deadlast Uchiha that he'd raised from Genin to Chuunin. Out of his three students, Obito had been Kushina's favorite.

He was also Kushina's murderer.

Minato thought back to the moment he'd taken out Obito's first pair of eyes. That moment had been more than gratifying, it was _bliss_. Maybe Jiraiya is right. It didn't hurt to be.. cautious. Minato was broken out of his thoughts by Jiraiya's jovial voice. "Make sure to bring enough to last us 'til tomorrow. It's going to be cold out here." Jiraiya grinned. "Don't worry. I won't do anything to your student. You're right. I was being paranoid. I'll try to keep the place cozy for you when you get back. In fact, you can even look forward to some tea, brewed by the Sage of Toads himself with rare leaves that could only be found by the bravest, most manliest of men who dare tread in the deep wilderness of Mount Myoboku. Who is he you ask? Why that would be none other than me! The Sage of Toads, the Manliest of Men and Wooer of Women! Jiraiya!"

Minato smiled at his mentor's newest pose. It really wasn't that much different from his other ones. The signature squat and that unerringly silly expression seemed to be as much a part of the man as his utterly perverted habits. "Wooer of Women.. you're hopeless." Minato sighed emphatically and turned on his feet, the smile dropping the moment his back was turned. "I'll be back."

The Sannin slowly sat back onto the log as his student quickly ducked out into the pouring rain. When Minato had finally returned with Uchiha Obito in tow, he'd simply laid the unconscious man on the floor in front of a very unhappy Jiraiya. Jiraiya ended up having to treat the exhausted man. He hadn't missed the way Minato avoided looking at his former student, even when he had been reasoning against the voice of cynicism. He also hadn't missed the blood that'd came out of Minato's fists as the former Kage's nails dug into his palm after having finally allowed himself a quick glance at the prone figure of the unconscious and half-blind Uchiha.

Jiraiya sighed as he unsealed his kettle and the tea-leaves that he'd been saving for a special and much happier occasion. With all the recent assassinations attempts, confrontations with the Akatsuki and whatever was happening back in Konoha, Minato's nerves weren't coping very well. That had to be it. Jiraiya turned his attention out into the overcast skies through the opening of the makeshift shelter. "This damned weather isn't helping either!"

Obito stirred at the noise, but remained unconscious as he dreamed.

 _Rin stood next to him with a cheery smile on her face as Kushina congratulated them for their upcoming wedding, the fact that they were still children was lost on the exuberant groom-to-be and the happy people around him. After Kushina came Minato-sensei with a proud smile on his face. 'Congratulations Obito. May the two of you live many wonderful years together.'_

 _Next came Kakashi. The newly minted Jounin sighed with envy, his coal-black eyes crinkling with merry in contrast. 'I hope you're happy.'_

 _Rin smile widened almost imperceptibly. 'What are you talking about, Obito's always happy!'_

' _Not when he's trying to beat me.' Kakashi scoffed. 'For someone so weak, you sure are competitive as hell.'_

 _Obito grinned uncaringly at the jibe. 'I love you too Kakashi.' As long as Rin was here, nothing else mattered. As long as Rin.. he turned and Rin fell into his arms. The atmosphere darkened as he held her. Obito gaped in horror at the bleeding cavity in her chest. Why is this happening? This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen. Rin suddenly coughed, blood streaming down the side of her cheeks. The girl put a hand up to Obito's teary cheeks with a desperate look on her face, as if she wanted to tell him something but was unable to. Obito narrowed his focus. What is she trying to say? Rin's voice finally reached his ears, pitifully weak yet firm. 'Obito.. I'm sorry. It was the only way.'_

 _Obito clung to the girl that he'd loved, that he still loved, and buried his face in her shoulder. 'Rin. I've missed you.'_

 _Ignoring her teammate's grief, the girl pointed, her voice desperate. 'Kakashi..'_

 _Obito was suddenly aware of the hundreds of Kiri Jounin and ANBU that surrounded them with Kakashi lying several meters away. The enemy-nin closed in on the unconscious form of the masked prodigy, and Rin's voice softened. 'Help me protect him.'_ _Obito sobbed as the girl lost her strength, barely muttering her last, nearly imperceptible words._ _'Help me protect our home.'_


	45. (6) Visit

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Nearing the end is sad. Saddddddddddddddddddddddd. D:

* * *

The sound of bells rang through the house. A voice followed immediately after, the sound muffled by the floorboards. "A visitor? At this hour?"

 _Here it comes._

"Sakura!" The voice floated up to the room. "Could you get the door?"

Sakura groaned and plopped her head over her textbook. _But you're so much closer to the door, and I'm all the way up in my room._ Biting back her complaint, she yelled back in response. "Ok Mom!"

She pulled on her standard attire and shuffled down the stairs feeling irritated. She'd _just_ finished clearing the tables and doing the dishes. It was like some cruel goddess of fate didn't want to give her time alone to relax. As an active Leaf-nin, she'd been out all day helping to run damage control too. _Stupid invasion._

She opened the door to the sight of some boy with short pink hair. "Hi. What do you want?"  
The boy narrowed his eyes at the uncustomarily coarse greeting. "Sakura. Naruto's hurt. We're going to the hospital to visit him. Let's go." Sakura stared silently, and the boy's tone took on a touch of concern and annoyance. "Oy.. Sakura?"

Sakura continued to stand wide-eyed. The hair had thrown her off for a bit, but it was no mistaking who this was. For once he was actually visiting her and inviting her to go somewhere with him instead of the other way around. _And where's he been all this time?! What did he do to his hair?!_ "Sasuke?"  
Sasuke smiled wryly. "Are you coming or not?"

Sakura swallowed. "Let me put on my shoes." She closed the door and let out the breath that she didn't know she'd been holding, her mind brimming with questions. She took a few more calming breaths. _One thing at a time._ "Mom! Dad! I'm going out to visit Naruto at the hospital!"

"Ok sweetheart!" said her father.

"You'd better be back home before your bedtime!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yes mom!"

She strapped on her shoes and quickly went out. Sasuke stood with his arms crossed impatiently, a posture that usually warned her to back off from her habitual doting on him.. _usually_. For some reason, Sasuke just didn't seem as intimidating with his hair cut short and dyed such a tangy color. Breaking past her usual reservations, Sakura let a bit of her emotions slip as she vented the misery and frustration that she'd been feeling since Sasuke's disappearance.

Sasuke quelled a twinge of fear as his teammate approached him with a look that was generally reserved only for Naruto. "You've got a _lot_ of explaining to do disappearing for an entire month like that! Do you have any idea how worried we were?! What in the world were you thinking?!"

"Sakura.." Sasuke replied evenly. "I'm sorry."

He was suddenly pulled into a hug, forcing him to fight off his usual instinct to rebuke the physical contact.

"We're a team. We stick together no matter what. Don't leave like that again."

Sasuke gently returned the embrace. "I won't."

"I'm going to hold you to that. Baka." Sakura smiled and took the Uchiha's hand. "Let's go see Naruto."

Sasuke returned her smile, sending Sakura's mind into disarray. There was something different about him that she couldn't quite put her finger to. He wasn't usually this responsive to her affections. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

"You seem.. different."

The boy stopped in confusion before seeming to arrive at a conclusion. "It's my hair isn't it?"  
"No! I mean yes!" Sakura resisted the urge to back away. This _couldn't_ be Sasuke. Whoever this was.. he was _much_ too friendly. A spy? A prank by Naruto? In any case, she needed to keep from alarming this 'Sasuke' about the fact that she was on to him. "Why is your hair _pink_?!"

"I needed a disguise." The boy smiled.. again, and ran his fingers through his hair. "Now we match."

 _Right._ Sakura examined the familiar pink hue and put on a thoughtful expression. _Definitely not Sasuke._ "So what exactly happened to Naruto?"

A second, deeper voice answered from behind. "He's recuperating from Chakra exhaustion."

Sakura's heart jumped in surprise, and she leapt back to face the two. "Ok. Who are you?"

The boy paused as if considering how to answer her question. "That's my brother."

Sakura frowned. _That's not what I meant when I asked._

"I was wondering when you'd see fit to introduce me." The man inclined his head in formal greeting. "Uchiha Itachi."

 _Uchiha Itachi?!_ Whoever these people are, they clearly knew some of the facts about her teammate. Sakura's spine tingled with fear and apprehension at what she was about to do.

Sasuke sighed at the pinkette's trepidation. "Sakura.. he's not really the criminal we've made him out to be. He did it all to protect the village.. to protect _me_. I was.. I was wrong."  
Without warning, the kunoichi flipped out a kunai in a swipe that caused the pink-haired boy to jump back.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Sakura, what are you doing?"

"You're not Sasuke." Sakura replied assertively. "Sasuke _hates_ his brother, and he would never be so.. accepting. You let me hug you and hold your hand. Sasuke would never do that. He's a quiet brooding loner who spends most of his time thinking about how to get stronger. And the way you smiled.. he doesn't do that either. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't scream for help right now."

Sasuke grimaced. _Was I really that bad?_ "Sakura. It's really me."

"Prove it."

"How?"

Sakura narrowed her mind in thought. "Remember what I asked the imposter-Naruto during the Chuunin Exam?"

The boy froze in hesitation. He remembered the exact scenario. The second stage of the Exam had been held in the Forest of Death. Half the teams had been given one type of scroll while the other half had been given another. In order to pass, they had to arrive at the tower buried deep in the forest with both types of scrolls. Teams were forced to fight and take the scrolls off of each other. While Naruto had gone off to take a leak on the first day, one of the other teams had sent a member in a Henge in an attempted infiltration.

Sakura tapped her foot impatiently.

"My first kiss. It's.." Sasuke stopped with the name stuck on his tongue. It was the most embarrassing moment of his life. Itachi eyes focused slightly as his attention zeroed in on his brother. He had to admit. There was something amusing about the way this girl was denying his brother's identity. And his first kiss..

Sakura lowered her kunai. The fact that he'd known what she was referring to meant that this imposter could only be one of two people, and she had the prankster too cowed to pull this type of prank on her again which means..

Sakura ignored the desire to smile sadistically and crossed her arms. "Say it."

Sasuke ducked his head to hide his flush. "It's Naruto."

Itachi's mind went reeling with calculation. It was all beginning to make sense. The connection between the two and the Jinchuuriki's strong attachment to his little brother.. the older Uchiha narrowed his eyes as the obvious conclusion made its way into his thoughts. There was nothing wrong with such an.. attraction. Still, it was rather a surprise discover its manifestation in his little brother. Father would've gone crazy if he'd known.

"Sasuke.. oh my god! You're really Sasuke!"

Sasuke glared darkly at his shoes as he waited for the warmth in his cheeks to subside.

"I thought you were trying to kidnap me for espionage or something." She stopped as her attention focused on the third person at the scene. "Oh I'm sorry. Where are my manners?" Sakura inclined her head. "My name is Haruno Sakura. I'm Sasuke's genin teammate."

Itachi nodded, his incredulity from the recent epiphany largely subsided. "Well met."

Sakura crept toward the still somewhat red-faced Uchiha. "Are you sure that's your brother?"

"Yes I'm sure." Sasuke replied with clear exasperation. "Hands off."

Sakura grinned as she released her teammate's arm. _Now that's more like the Sasuke I know._

Sasuke put a hand to his arm gingerly. "Come on. We need to get there before visiting hours are over."

Sakura nodded and the two jumped up to the rooftop. "Your brother's not coming?"

Sasuke looked back. Itachi gave him an unfathomable smile from the dark, nearly empty streets and vanished. "I don't know."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Naruto eyelids snapped up to the warm glow of a small, cozy room. It was nighttime, and the last thing he remembered was falling into darkness after a painful blow to his midriff. _Sasuke's brother.. I was fighting him.. Chihiro nee-chan._ "AAH!" He sat up, causing two pink-haired people to jump at the sudden motion. Naruto quickly scanned his surroundings before settling his eyes on his visitors. "Sakura-chan?" The blonde squinted at the boy who was sitting _much too close to her_. "And who are you supposed to-" _be._ His mouth dropped open as recognition dawned on him. " _Sasuke?!_ What's with your hair?!"

Sakura cheered as Sasuke put his head in his hands, causing Naruto to furrow his brows in confusion. "What? What'd I say?

Sasuke groaned. "Ok. Technically, that wasn't the first thing he said."

"It's close enough." Sakura replied dismissively. She leaned closer and dropped her voice into a whisper. "The date. You promised."

"HOLD ON!" Naruto yelled, making his visitors jump. He sighed with relief, having broke the two apart. "Aren't you going to tell me what's going on? What happened to me exactly? What happened to the invasion? And seriously, Sasuke's hair is _pink_." The blonde turned an almost pleading eye at his other teammate. "I can't be the only one who's seeing this."

"Dobe. Why are you making such a big deal out of it? What's wrong with pink hair?"

"Nothing's wrong with pink hair." Naruto said with a spare glance at Sakura. "It's just _you're_ hair specifically. It's the same color as Sakura-chan's-" Naruto's mouth dropped open in stark realization. _It's the same color as Sakura-chan's hair._ "You two-faced bastard! I thought you didn't like her!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "It's just hair. It doesn't mean-"

"Yes it does." Sakura interrupted with a scathing glare at the idiot blonde that sometimes passed for her teammate. "Shut up Naruto."

Naruto suddenly lost the righteous indignation that he'd been feeling, and laid back as he finally succumbed to his still-existing condition of Chakra-exhaustion, something he hoped never to go through again. Chakra exhaustion was.. exhausting, and his earlier outburst of energy wasn't exactly very conducive to recovery either.

Sasuke frowned with worry. "Naruto. What's wrong?"  
"I'm OK. There's something I think I should tell you." Naruto smiled wanly. "I saw your brother. I think he was trying to kidnap me."

"I know." Sasuke replied. "He told me."

"He told you?" Naruto's mind went blank. "Wait. What?"

"It's a long story. Let me start from the beginning. Remember that night you challenged Tsunade to a match?"  
Naruto nodded. He remembered that night very well. They'd gotten a really cool sword that they ended up having to return to Kiri. Something about improving political relations. It made Naruto sad. The sword really liked him for some reason. It was almost like having a pet porcupine. And then the old perv had taken it away. _It was a living sword for crying out loud!_ Naruto pouted at the thought. He'd even given it a name. _Kubi-chan._ Naruto's pout deepened. Taking away his pet after they'd gotten so close was like tearing friends apart. It was cruel and unjust. His dad didn't help him on the matter either, and Sasuke..

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts

"-anzo made him do it. It's all been made public, so you should hear quite a bit about it for the next several weeks or so." Sasuke sighed. "And my brother wants me to invite all the people I know over to the house which would really only be the two of you and Kakashi-sensei."

"Wait. So your brother is coming back to live in the village?"

"That's what he's been saying. His brother's been pardoned." Sakura broke in. "Pay attention. _Baka_."

Naruto nodded slowly. He'll have to ask for more details later. Right now, he was feeling too tired to concentrate on anything. "So no more revenge?" He asked quietly.

"No more revenge."

"No more brooding-loner-Sasuke?" Naruto's grin was infectious.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "I wasn't _that_ bad."

"Yes you were." Said Naruto and Sakura simultaneously.

Sakura gave Sasuke a serious look. "You never talked to us."

Naruto nodded. "Unless you had to."

"You never really smiled."

"And you were always glaring at someone or something half the time you're awake."

Sakura latched onto Sasuke's arm. "But you were still so _cool_."

"What did I tell you about fangirling?" Sasuke griped.

Sakura grinned cheerily. "It's not fangirling if it's genuine affection."

Sasuke sighed. "If I was so bad, why didn't you two just leave me alone like I kept telling you to?"

"Because you're our teammate." Naruto stared up at the ceiling with his back on the hospital bed as he spoke in a weak voice. "And seriously. The more you tell us to leave you alone, the more we'll bother you. You should know how these things work by now."

Sasuke laughed softly at that. "I'm glad you didn't listen to me."

"Me too." Said Sakura as she tightened her grip on her crush's arm.

Sasuke made an attempt to take back possession of his arm and failed. He looked his pink-haired teammate stonily in the eye.. "Please stop doing that."

"No." Sakura smiled sweetly. "Oh Naruto. If you're hungry, they left you some food on the table. I think they have ramen."

" _Ramen?!_ " Naruto sat up quickly, his stomach gurgling and his weakness forgotten. "Oh! Where? Let me get it."

Outside, a figure in a damp cloak and matted blonde hair crouched silently on the wall to the right of the fourth floor window of Naruto's room as he listened in on the friendly banter from within the room.

Nearly an hour later, the figure stood and made the ANBU signal for departure as Naruto's visitors spoke their farewells.

On the other side of the window, Itachi stood in response and nodded. He gave the signal for confirmation for good measure.

The figure vanished and the Uchiha crouched back down thoughtfully. He'd started his vigil on the walls alone, and had been nearly surprised by the figure's sudden appearance. It seemed they'd had the same idea. Itachi had given the blonde a cool appraising look, but said nothing. To the former Kage's credit, he also appeared to understand the value of silence as the sound of the three Genin floated out the room's open window. There was no need to alert the room's occupants of their position. And so they had waited silently, neither desiring to move.

Despite the situation, the two had still managed to converse. As if of the same mind, both the doting father and the overprotective brother had produced similar sets of Chakra ink, brush and sealing scrolls. It was through these scrolls that they'd talk, the glow of the Chakra-infused characters written on the paper lending them legibility against the dark evening.

At first it was a simple exchange of information and inquiries from Itachi's return to the Leaf to Minato's on-mission status. After establishing varying degrees of trust, the two began to really talk.

' _It seems Sasuke has taken quite a liking to your family._ '

' _He's a good kid. Naruto treasures him as a friend. They get along like brothers.'_

' _That's unsurprising. Your son declared himself to be more of a brother than I. I am inclined to believe him._ '

' _You shouldn't blame yourself. I'm not going to say that I believe the Uchiha deserved what happened. They didn't. But I know you are aware of what you've done for the village and for your brother. Uchiha Itachi, you are a hero to the Leaf.'_

' _T_ _he fact remains that I am responsible for the death of my family. I will never deserve Sasuke's forgiveness._ '

' _He gives it to you anyway. He understands why you've done what you've done and accepts it for what it is. I don't think anyone who fully understands can ever blame you._ '

Itachi stared silently at the words inscribed on that particular segment of the scroll. Below, Sasuke exited the building with Haruno Sakura walking happily at his side.

Itachi reread the words that were written twenty minutes earlier. ' _I don't think anyone who fully understands can ever blame you_.'

 _Kind words._ He pocketed the scroll and dropped down to follow Sasuke on his first date. Namikaze Minato was wrong.

He still blamed himself.

As they moved, Sasuke bickered amiably with his pink-haired companion.

Itachi smiled. Looks _like the Yellow Flash isn't the only one who was wrong._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Jiraiya woke before dawn and cracked an eye open. On the other side of the firepit, a figure lay asleep on his back. He sat up and stretched before moving out into the open air to do his morning exercises. The sky remained as clouded as ever: not a single star was visible. _Well. At least it stopped raining._

His mind cleared as he began the movements of the kata that he'd mastered after months of gruelling practice from the old Sarutobi back in his genin-days. He'd stayed up fairly late waiting for Minato to get back from his firewood expedition, and he'd fallen asleep before his student's return. Whatever Minato had been doing, it was much more than simply collecting firewood.

Jiraiya mechanically glided through a few more movements, the blood warming his body against the chilling air. He hoped Minato would be forthcoming about whatever was on his mind.

The Toad Sage circulated Chakra through his arm and thrust an open palm forward. He stopped as he noticed the glow of a single eye peering at him from approximately ten meters away. It was the newest addition to their party.

 _Kami.._ Jiraiya frowned as his heart settled. _I completely forgot about him._

Aware that it'd been noticed, the eye moved as its owner stood up. A voice, quiet and submissive, cut through the cool residue of the forest. "May I join you?"

Jiraiya relaxed and resumed his kata. "Sure."

Obito dropped into stance as he began his own set of movements. Jiraiya narrowed his eyes as he realized that it was his own kata being mirrored back at him in perfect form. _The Sharingan. Of course._ The Toad Sage smirked. Even if the Uchiha was capable of copying his movements, it didn't necessarily mean he had the same endurance. _Let's see how long he can keep up.'_

Jiraiya picked up the pace as he shifted across the field from stance to stance in fast and sharp movements. Obito followed, the darkness making it difficult for him to make out the older Shinobi's forms.

The two moved in perfect synchronicity for a half a minute more before finally crossing fists. Jiraiya smiled. It'd been awhile since he'd had a spar with an Uchiha. They circled for several moments before exchanging quick blows, Obito managing to match and counter the Sannin's movement. It would have been impressive if the Sharingan wasn't giving the Uchiha a perceptual handicap. As Obito sidestepped a straight jab, Jiraiya raised his forearm forward and brought it slamming down. Obito barely raised his own forearm in time to block the swing, but was dealt a blow anyway as his defense was easily overwhelmed by the Sage's superior strength.

Jiraiya smirked. "You're a hundred years too early to-" His eyes widened as Obito crumpled to the ground. _I didn't hit him that hard.._ His mind raced before finally pinpointing the problem. _Shit. I forgot about his Chakra exhaustion_. Squatting low, the Sage lay a diagnostic hand on the Uchiha's wrist. "Oy. You should've told me that you were still recovering." Obito simply lay limp, his reserves too spent to even power the simplest of movements. Jiraiya frowned. "Minato would kill me if you'd died on me."

"I'm sorry." Obito apologized weakly.

Jiraiya nodded understandingly. "Wait here. I'll be back."

Obito lay uselessly in the dark as the Sage of Toads vanished into thin air. After a few moments, the Sannin returned with a large coat and a cup of warm tea. Jiraiya threw the coat over the crippled Uchiha and slowly coaxed the tea down the man's throat. He chuckled. "I'm starting to feel emasculated mothering you lot. I think if I don't reestablish my manhood soon, I'm going to go crazy. Can you hold the cup yourself?" Obito attempted to take the cup with a trembling arm and failed miserably. "I guess not. You really should have warned me."

"I'm sorry."

Jiraiya sighed. "Let's get you back to the shelter. You can tell me about Nagato and Konan while you recover. I want to know how my disciples went from pacifists who wanted to create peace solely through nonviolent methods to cold-blooded leaders of the most ruthless criminal organization in existence. Help me understand."

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

I think I've drank up the last bottle of my writing juice. I'm merely squeezing out what's left. It isn't much. I am now in a state where I can hardly fathom how I was able to write my chapters in one sitting and update every day. I must've been _crazy_.

Mugetsu: Hmmmm.


	46. (6) Separation

A/N: I don't own Naruto.

* * *

' _Doraimon-sama!' Akemi's voice sounded loud and clear. The tall and lordly Doraimon faltered. Akemi.. her voice never failed to strike at his core. Her every move and every sound drawing him to her like a magnet. 'Doraimon-sama! Hurry!' The girl paused and turned with a teasing smile, sidling up to the increasingly aggravated man before her. 'Are you nervous?'_

 _Doraimon blushed furiously and began to splutter. 'N-no. Akemi-chan.. y-you're too close.'_

 _The girl flipped her hair behind her back and pressed closer, whispering under her breath. 'I know.'_

 _She pressed a finger to his lips to stem whatever complaint he had at the tip of his tongue. Doraimon's silly blue hat fell off his head as his back was jarred into the wall. 'Last night was amazing, Doraimon-sama.'_

 _Doraimon widened his eyes. All he remembered last night was taking the sleeping pill that Akemi had offered him and- 'Oh my god.. what did you do?!'_

' _Let me remind you.' The girl leaned in, her lips hovering just above his and she_

"He's here." Minato popped into existence, causing Jiraiya to literally leap off his feet.

" _Oh for Kami's sake!"_ Jiraiya's snapped and quickly bent down to retrieve the pen and the pages scattered all over the floor. "This is the _worst_ time."

Minato gave his mentor a look that held not even a single speck of sympathy or pity. "I'll give you three minutes to talk to him. Remember. Three pulses for help. Two pulses for an extra minute."

Jiraiya groaned. "I'm not likely to forget. You remind me every time. This damned seal.. I don't get any privacy. The things I can't do at night because of this-"

"Jiraiya-sensei." Minato interrupted, breaking his mentor out of his short rant.

Jiraiya stopped and frowned childishly as he stared back into his student's serious eyes.

"Don't die."

Jiraiya nodded. Sometimes, it was hard to tell who was the master and who was the disciple. _He doesn't treat me with enough respect.. not that I deserve it. It's not as if I didn't raise him and teach him everything I know or anything._

The Sage licked his lips sadly at the thought, and put away his pen and notebook. Minato had already vanished and taken the silent Obito with him.

Jiraiya sighed, the scene he was writing now hopelessly gone. _I just got over my writer's block too._

At least Minato had the foresight to scatter Hiraishin markers all around the nation. One of the great things about seals was that they generally didn't leave any trace of Chakra. Even if they didn't, there was just no match to teleportation when it came to speed. Nagato would never catch them. Not in a million years.

As he waited, the overcast sky continued to pour unrelenting rain onto the small forest clearing. The only shelter was the earthwall that'd been raised with a well-placed earth-wall jutsu. The earth-wall jutsu was convenient like that, and is probably the closest one could get to an all-purpose jutsu. Shelter, shield, construction.. if a Shinobi were skilled enough he could even craft furniture with it. Past a certain threshold of Chakra control with the Earth element, it was all about the amount of earth available for the earth-wall technique. And earth was everywhere.

Just as the Sage finished his thoughts, the ground underneath him ruptured and he was suddenly pulled upward along with at least a hundred cubic meters of Earth. No matter how many times he'd encountered about the technique, the experience still caught him completely off-guard. Jiraiya wobbled as he barely held his balance with the Chakra circulating into the soles of his feet. _Oh Kami, he just pulled up half the landscape!_

Another quake jarred the giant chunk on which he was standing and the entire construct fell back to the Earth. There was no relief for the Sage of Toads, however, as the technique now seemed to concentrate solely on him. The invisible force now had him travelling so fast that he plowed through at least a thousand raindrops per second. Jiraiya was instantly drenched, along with the notebook that'd been hastily stuck into his cloak. The Sage swore in his mind. He'd have to rewrite everything again. _Damn you Nagato. You couldn't pick a better time._

As the freezing water soaked into his clothes, Jiraiya briefly wondered just how much Chakra Nagato actually had to be able to cast a sensing-jutsu of such massive range. The rainstorm almost covered the entire nation, every drop containing traces of the Uzumaki's Chakra

What awed the Sage even more was the fact that Nagato could put so much power into casting other jutsus such as the massive gravitational technique that made his earth-wall shelter look so comparatively useless while maintaining the storm. _So much for my all purpose jutsu._

Then he saw him. Yahiko.. or at least Yahiko's corpse, wearing the standard Akatsuki attire, long black cloak and red clouds somehow untouched by the massive downpour. The man was floating at least a kilometer in the air. Truly, it wasn't hard to see where he'd gotten his God-complex, if Obito's info was anything to go by.

A black metallic rod fell out of the sleeves of Yahiko's corpse and it was shot forward. Jiraiya watched as his body continued to missile toward the projectile, and he rolled into a ball, his hair lengthening into a spiny shield. ' _Ranjishigami no Jutsu_ '

The metal rod clanked harmlessly off the steely wire of Jiraiya's now Chakra-enhanced hair. However, before he could crash into and impale Akatsuki's leader with it, the corpse maneuvered swiftly to the side and let the ball of spiky hair fly past him.

Nagato watched the Sage's hair recede as the technique unfolded. They were a thousand meters in the air and Jiraiya-sensei couldn't fly. While a very well-trained Shinobi like one of Konoha's Sannin could probably survive the fall-

The Deva Path raised his hand and brought it whistling downward, displacing the air with the force of his movement. At the same time, a force at least a thousand times heavier pushed down on the Toad Sage.

"Nagat-" Jiraiya managed to speak before he was sent rocketing downwards at terrifying speeds.

With just enough time to eke out the rapid, triple-pulsed signal into the Hiraishin seal etched on his chest, Jiraiya's heart-rate shot up as he watched the ground almost seeming to literally fly into his face. His eardrums popped with the change in air pressure, and his vision blurred. The pain in his head was terrible. Combined with the instinctual fear from the fall, his impending death, and the blood that was rushing to his head, the Sage could hardly even think straight. _I'm not going to make it._

A hand clapped onto his back and suddenly, he was standing in a forest, the trees green and shiny as the sun shone cheerily onto the signature beauty that was the Land of Rivers. They were in an isolated clearing near the southern border of the Nation of Rain, and the scenery was simply stunning.

Jiraiya collapsed onto the ground in relief, and Minato quickly knelt next to him. "Are you alright?"

"Hn. Thank God you're fast." Jiraiya stood and took off his rain-soaked garments. "I didn't even get a single word in." He handed his student a shirt, and - as if reading his mentor's mind - Minato promptly fleshed it out and looped it onto a nearby branch. The Sage sighed as he picked the ruined wads of paper that was the draft for the 9th installment of his Make-out Paradise series from his coat. Kakashi was just going to have to wait a few extra months.

Jiraiya finished emptying the contents of his coat and turned a sideways glance at Minato's supposedly dead student. Obito was sitting silently near a small creek with his back turned. Since their brief spar nearly two weeks ago, the Uchiha had hardly spoken a word. _I wonder what he's thinking about.._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Through the rain, God's voice spoke, each and every droplet relaying speech to the citizens who thrived under it. It wasn't loud or booming, but it was distinct - a voice which unobtrusively demands attention.

"The people of Rain. A new threat looms upon us from the East. The Hidden Leaf seeks to undermine our goals and our principles. Even now as I speak, the Leaf's elite Shinobi have already crossed our borders and infiltrated our lands. Let us not forget the crimes done unto us. Let us not forget how they savaged our people. They come with false peace, hidden in treachery. They scorn the truth that is our ideals. They mock us and everything we've achieved through our our pain." The voice paused to allow the embers of emotion to burn brighter.. hotter. All throughout the immense, industrialized city, Shinobi and civilians alike felt fires stoke in their hearts as they listened to the word of their God. "We shall show them that we will not be so easily trodden! Peace is upon us and those who fight against our ideals, our dreams, and our hope are our enemies, no matter what their intentions may be. There are three invaders, two of these you know well. The Yellow Flash. Jiraiya. And with them is an Uchiha. Find them. Capture them. Kill them. Do whatever it takes to protect our home."

The voice subsided.

Up in tallest structure in the city, Nagato's Chakra receded as he stopped for breath.

"Are you sure that's wise?"

His head perking up at the unexpected question, the Rinnegan user stared down imposingly at the only other remaining member of the Akatsuki. Their plans were already in motion. Now wasn't the time for doubt. "We've already discussed this. They are a major threat to our objectives. We must eliminate them at all costs, regardless of our past."

Konan stared back into the rippling eyes of her longstanding friend and partner. "Even at the cost of our people's lives? You know as well as I that we're the only ones who stand any chance against them. You've just sent our people to their deaths and for what? To stop them long enough for you to get there? Nagato. You can't-"

"Konan." Nagato's voice took on a condescending edge. "Our people's lives are safe. There is no need for worry."

"What do you mean our people's lives are safe? You can't possibly kno-"

"Konan." Nagato interrupted abruptly. "Shut up and think. They know our goals. They know everything about us. Yet they've been sitting at our borders and evading us for two weeks. They haven't invaded our home and they haven't called for reinforcements. Knowing Jiraiya-sensei, their objective is clear.." Nagato looked expectantly at his partner.

Konan frowned in thought for a few moments. Jiraiya-sensei was a man of peace. Yahiko's ideals - his belief that all conflicts can be resolved without violence - were heavily influenced by the Sannin. It was the principle on which the Akatsuki was initially founded, and it was the principle they lived by.. until Yahiko was killed. Konan's eyes widened as the epiphany hit her. "He wants to talk to us.. to convince us with words."

"A foolish sentiment. The idea that people can learn to understand each other.. it's the very idea that lead to Yahiko's death. However, it also means that they will actively avoid killing our Shinobi."

"What if they don't?"

Nagato's eyes gleamed fervently. "Then they are in no position to convince us of anything."

Konan frowned with worry. Nagato was risking the lives of their citizens for a mere test, and she couldn't disagree with him less. Swallowing her complaint, she asked the other question that'd been nagging in her mind. "Do you think they stand a chance?"

This time, it was Nagato who lapsed into silent thought. The man fixed his otherworldly eyes on the woman before him in scrutiny before slipping a quiet query. "Do you doubt our cause?"

Konan shifted her weight nervously. She'd followed Nagato's orders for nearly fifteen years without a word of complaint. But now-"You're putting our people's lives at risk just to verify your- _our_ cause. How can you do such a thing? Is peace really worth such a sacrifice?" Nagato ground his jaws, causing the woman to falter. She wasn't getting to him. _Damnit_. "Yahiko would never do this. This goes against everything he believed in. Yahiko-"

" _Yahiko is dead!_ " Nagato exploded in a rare show of fury. He quickly staunched his anger. God has no emotions. God is objective. God is impartial.

"Nagato."

The Rinnegan user's breath slowed as he calmed his inner turmoil. "Yes, Konan?"

"I'm going to find them and I'm going to talk to them before any bloodshed happens."

"You will do no such thing."

The two stared at each other for several moments.

"This time, I won't listen to you." Konan stated, breaking the silent contest of wills. "I'm willing to follow you to my death, but I will not support this unnecessary folly you'd have us commit. You will _not_ toy with our people's lives."

"If you will not follow orders, then you are no longer fit to serve as God's Angel." A third voice entered the room, and Yahiko walked in from the balcony outside.

Ignoring the newcomer, the blue-haired woman turned angrily toward the emaciated figure situated in the mobile contraption before her. "How dare you use Yahiko like this?" She was quickly subdued and bound by the body of the dead man. "You are no God."

"I am the Sage of Six Paths reborn." Konan glared at the uncompromising face, but offered no resistance as she was forced to her knees. "I will bring peace to the world as has my predecessor before me. Your assistance is no longer necessary."

Konan's eyes widened as the Preta Path walked in. He was going to absorb her Chakra and render her as useless as a civilian. This wouldn't be the first time he's done something like this. "Nagato. Why? You can still find them. Talk to them. There's no need to risk our people's lives." The Preta Path approached slowly and silently. " _Nagato!_ "

A hand reached out, ready to take her Chakra. Before it could touch her, the kunoichi disintegrated into a mass of paper which allowed her to slip out of her bonds. Within a fraction of a second after the transformation, the mass of paper flew toward the opening to the room's balcony.

As the first of the sheets crossed the threshold, a sudden force stopped the progress of the paper mass and pulled it reeling back into the room toward Yahiko's open palm. ' _Bansho Ten'in'_

Without a moment's hesitation, Konan altered her course and threw herself with all the speed she could muster toward the source of the gravitational pull. The combined force of the Deva Path's technique and her own Chakra-induced propulsions brought thousands of sharp, paper projectiles slamming into Yahiko's corpse with enough power to instantly 'kill' the Deva Path.

All this happened in less than a second starting from the initial pull, leaving the Preta Path too slow to leap in and block the trajectory of the Chakra-laced paper.

With the Deva Path temporarily disabled, Konan took her chance to once again flit away. The Preta Path leapt toward her in a final attempt to snag her. If he could just get his hands on her core, her Chakra would be no more. However, the Preta Path did not have the same aerodynamic speed as Konan's paper machinations, neither did it have the weightlessness of the Deva Path. It stood no chance. Nagato unlocked his thin arms from the chamber in which it'd been held to pull his partner back, but he was too late. Konan was gone. Nagato and his corpse puppets now stood alone in Amegakure's highest skyscraper.

The man's face pulled into a deep frown. He didn't think she'd be willing to damage Yahiko's body.

It looked as if she hadn't completely given up those idiotic ideals. Nagato stared at the few pieces of paper that remained on the hard stone floor before him. "Konan.. you fool."

* * *

A/N

* * *

Hey. Mittens here. It's been a while! ^-^


	47. (6) Contact

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but I do have several bananas sitting on my desk. I like bananas. :]

* * *

The rain pummeled her as she flew, and the city diminished from view behind her. And now, far from any civil company, she didn't know where to go. She couldn't turn back, but she didn't know where to find her former mentor. If only Nagato could've helped her. Even now, he knew exactly where she was, even if he couldn't quite get to her yet.

The rain had never been colder.

 _Nagato you idiot._ She chanted. _Idiot. Idiot. Idiot._

The words were like a mantra, and had a sort of therapeutic effect on the desolate soul floating through the storm.

 _Idiot…_ she began to feel the sting of tears in her eyes. Yahiko would've been able to convince him. He'd always been incredibly persuasive, charming, lovable, kind.. If Yahiko were here, none of this would have happened. But Yahiko was dead. And Nagato was an idiot.

The wind picked up as the kunoichi flew higher. In order to prevent the wind from literally blowing her apart, the kunoichi collected herself, causing all the little fluttering pieces of paper to come together to create her distinct form. Just as gravity began to take hold, large, solid wings of condensed, water-resistant paper sprouted from her back.

It was time to disappear. With a powerful flap of her new appendages, the woman fluttered up and through the freezing clouds. She broke through the top of the monsoon, feeling chilled to the bone.

Now she was above the rain. He shouldn't be able to sense her. Shaking off the trembling cold, she moved as quickly as she could toward the Hidden Leaf. It was the only way she would be guaranteed to establish any sort of contact with Jiraiya-sensei.

Konan couldn't have felt more miserable. This felt like betrayal. But Nagato had already betrayed his own people, the ones that they'd sworn to protect. He'd betrayed the Akatsuki's ideals.. But so had she in following him so mindlessly for the past decade and a half.

She shook her head and strengthened her resolve. Yahiko would've wanted this. It was what he would've done. There was no point in going back now. She'd only be subjected to losing her Chakra and being rendered useless. It didn't matter. As long as everything could be fixed, she was sure he'd understand. He had to.

 _Nagato.. you idiot._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Lying on the warm blanket cover, she stared up into the yawning sky. It wasn't completely dark yet, but the moon was already waxing large above the trees. Laced with wisps of transparent stretches of cloud, the glow of the moonlight blurred, making it both eerie and beautiful at the same time.

For a moment, Chihiro wondered what it'd be like to fly across those expansive tufts of cloud floating softly in the skyline. It was a feat only Shinobi were capable of performing. Granted those capable of flight were so few and far between that even her guide, as immersed in the Shinobi world as he was, had been hard put to name any ninja who could actually fly.

When asked, Naruto simply put a hand under his chin in thought. "Well.. I mean.. there are probably some Shinobi who could fly, like using bird summons or something." His face lit up. "Ah! Gamabunta can jump thousands of feet high. That's sorta like flying. Wanna try it?"

Chihiro paled and shook her head. The thousand feet ascent didn't worry her. It was the fall.

"Don't worry. The Boss's back is super squishy." Naruto offered, as if reading his client's mind. "It'll be like falling on a gigantic, wet pillow."

"Uhm. No thanks." Chihiro chuckled nervously.

"Come on." The blonde stood up with a cheery grin. His overwhelming cheer and enthusiasm providing only a small measure of comfort to the girl. "It'll be awesome!"

"I-I'm fine. Thank you very much." Chihiro began to inch away slowly.

"It'll be the last time I can show you anything fun." Naruto pleaded. "And since you're going away tomorrow, I'll probably never get to show you again."

Chihiro sighed. "Ok. Just... hang on to me."

"No problem!" Naruto cheered and bit his thumb as his thoughts turned to his tenant. It'd been months since they've talked. " _Alright damned Fox. Time to pay rent!"_

" _ **Brat**_." Naruto nearly jumped. He didn't expect the Fox to actually respond, and he didn't expect to be pulled into his mindscape. Naruto stared at the massive figure behind the metaphysical bars.

" _Wow. You're actually talking. Listen. I need Chakra for-_ "

The Nine-tails laughed, interrupting Naruto's plea. " _ **If you think I'm going to give you Chakra for some childish presentation, then you must be more stupid than I give you credit for**_ **.** "

" _Hey that was completely uncalled for! You don't hear me going around calling_ you _stupid!"_

The Fox smirked, ignoring the child's outburst. " _ **In fact, if you think I'm ever giving you Chakra again, you can forget it. I have no reason to give you Chakra. At first, I did it to slowly overload the seal.**_ " At this, the creature slammed a heavy paw onto the cage, making Naruto fall on his feet from the sudden noise and impact. " _ **But now that that blasted piece of rotten flesh you call 'dad' has ruined my progress and completely eliminated any chance of that happening, there's no way in hell I'm helping you.**_ "

" _But-"_

" **BUG OFF! BRAT!** "

Naruto pouted as he was kicked out of his own mind. The blood on his thumb was already beginning to dry, and the cut was healing faster than normal - courtesy of the Nine-tail's Chakra. The boy growled. "Goddamnit you stingy Fox! Now you're just messing with me! This isn't over!"

He slapped his palm onto the stone surface of the Hokage Monument. " _Kuchiyose!_ "

A massive puff of smoke enveloped the area. If anyone were to turn a head to look at the Hokage Monument that night, they'd have seen the shadow of a massive toad outlining the top of the mountain. Internally, Naruto cheered. _Ha! I didn't need you anyway! Stingy Fox!_

Gamabunta chewed his pipe and looked around. " **Kid. I don't see any enemies in the area. You'd better have a good explanation for summoning me.** "

"Yeah I do, Boss!" Naruto gave a saluted. "Chihiro nee-chan here - who Ero-Sennin is teaching by the way - is going home tomorrow. She might not ever come back and I thought I'd show here what it'd be like to jump around on your back, y'know what I mean?"

"..." The giant toad looked down at the kid and her little female companion. " **So basically, you just summoned me for some childish presentation to send off this little human girl.** "

 _Childish presentation?!_ It didn't matter what the Boss or that stingy Fox said. This was _not_ a childish presentation! Naruto started to pout but thought better of it. He could tell he was losing the Boss's good will. "Yeah well you see. Chihiro here wanted to see what it was like to fly so like I told her that travelling on a toad's back was _just_ as good as flying. And then she said she didn't think flying on a toad is the same as flying on a bird. Well, since I can't summon hawks or anything, I figured I might as well summon you to show her how great toads are."

"..." The Boss took a drag of his pipe and blew out a massive gust of smoke. " **So little human. You don't think toads are good enough for you huh?** "

"Well." Chihiro said without fault. Inwardly, she was barely holding back a stammer of excitement at finally meeting one of the toads that Naruto had talked so often about. "Unless toads can fly, I don't see how you can ever be the same."

At this, the massive Toad laughed. " **While it's true that we cannot fly, Toad-travelling can be a lot more exciting than you give it credit for. For the pride of our clan to another pupil of my old partner, I'll allow it. Hop on, kiddo.** "

Naruto jumped onto Gamabunta's back. Chihiro on the other hand had to walk. While she wasn't very good at anything else, her Chakra control allowed her at least the ability to climb unnatural surfaces. It should also help her to hang on when they started moving. She moved to sit next to Naruto and had a feeling that even if she did slip, her guide would be there to catch her.

"Naruto. Thank you." She pulled the boy into a small hug.

Naruto grinned sadly and hugged her back. "You're the best big sis anyone can ask for. I'll ask my dad if we can come and visit some time."

"That would be nice."

Suddenly, the surface of Gamabunta's back shifted as the massive toad readied to leap. " **Hold on tight now! This is going to be a trip to remember!** "

With that Gamabunta leapt several hundred meters into the air, clearing the top of several jutting mountain heads behind the Hokage monument towards the Valley of Death. As they flew, the blood rushed to Chihiro's every limb and a tingle of sheer exhilaration jolted through her spine.

With their departure, the top of the Hokage Monument suddenly seemed deserted. The winds hummed through the trees of the surrounding forest, and for a moment, there were no observable signs of life on the rocky outcrop.

A woman's voice spoke. "I'm about to release you. I'm leaving explosive tags tapered to your bodies that can be activated from a range of two kilometers. If you move without my instruction, I will kill you. Do you understand?"

The voice received two muffled grunts of confirmation.

Suddenly, a section of the earth began to flake. Flaps of paper, almost perfectly resembling the ground floated up, revealing two Shinobi who collapsed onto the floor - bound and gagged. The paper then collected in a whirlwind of motion, stacking atop each other before finally taking the form of a blue-haired woman. The woman stared silently down the path that the girl and her guide had departed from.

It had been so easy. before descending from the clouds above, she'd sent small pieces of paper to scout the area for her landing. The Shinobi that'd been hidden around the area never saw her coming and had been easily subdued. The girl was obviously no Ninja and the boy..

Konan felt a pang chew at her heart. He was the son of the Yellow Flash, the one Iwa had employed them to kidnap. If she'd just abducted him right here, Nagato's struggles would be over. The Yellow Flash would've been yoked under their palm, and they'd have caught the most powerful of the Bijuu: the Nine-tailed fox. It would've been a spectacular double victory.

Konan shook her head of the thought. She'd resolved to continue the path that Jiraiya-sensei - that Yahiko - had set them on, and she was going to follow through with it.

She looked down at the two terrified Shinobi sprawled on the ground before her. "I am an emissary from the Hidden Rain. I have no desire to kill you. The Hidden Leaf has sent three elite-Shinobi into our nation. I seek to open negotiations with your Kage with regards to this trespass. Do you understand?"

The Shinobi nodded. Konan closed her eyes. Shinobi though they were, they were still mere children. Thoughts of her own childhood and that of the many orphans that resulted from the war in the Rain flooded her memories.

"Then I'd like you to provide me escort, if it isn't too much to ask."

Slowly, slips of paper began drifting off the bodies of the two Shinobi. The moment the gags left their mouths, the boy burst out loudly. "First you tie us up for _two hours_ then you expect us to escort you to our _Hokage_? Are you _serious?!_ Couldn't you have just gone for negotiations the _normal_ \- mmfff!"  
The gag flew straight back onto the man's mouth. Konan turned her eyes to the girl who began to speak frantically. "I-I'll be silent, and I'm sure he will be too, right Kiba?"

The boy - Kiba - muffled his assent, and Konan relented, returning him his speech.

As they moved, the girl looked sadly at her toes. The boy sighed. "Hinata. It's not like Naruto's dating her or anything. C'mon! She's like, seventeen. She's totally too old for-mfff!"

Konan rolled her eyes up toward the clouds.

The girl - Hinata - simply continued examining the tips of her sandals, a small blush tinting her cheeks,

 _Kami these children are so sheltered_. For a moment and not for the first time, Konan wished that her own childhood hadn't been so ridden with war and death. Maybe she, Nagato and Yahiko would have grown up to be a lot happier. Maybe Yahiko would've still been alive and Nagato not so bitter. Maybe Yahiko would've been able to-

She cut off the thought ruthlessly. Engaging in such inane exercises in regret didn't help solve any problems and only made her feel worse.

The children were moving much too slowly.

"The sooner we reach your Kage, the sooner you'll be released. Do you understand?"  
The children nodded.

"Then I suggest you pick up your pace."

And they did.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The desk manager at the Hokage office watched the two Genin - Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuuga Hinata - walk in with a suspicious-looking blue-haired woman in tow and narrowed his eyes. "What's going on?"

Kiba flailed his arms. "MmmMMmMFFfff!" - The strip of paper covering his mouth slipped off and the boy exploded. "SHE WANTS TO KILL THE HOKAGE! DON'T LET HER- mmmmffff!"

The desk manager didn't need to hear more. He hit the switch under his desk and the entire tower began blaring the invasion alarm.

Immediately, a small squad of Shinobi flashed into the scene. A flurry of kunai and techniques - fire, lightning, and earth - blasted toward the invader. Before the first of the defenders could reach and engage her physically, Konan disintegrated into a mass of paper - disappearing from her original spot and completely enveloping her two captives.

"I'm an emissary from Rain." She said loudly for the benefit of the large crowd gathered. "Let me speak to your Kage or these children die."

The defenders hesitated.

"Well if you only want to talk, I can do that."

"Hokage-sama! It's dangerous!" The desk manager cried. "Please return to safety while we deal with this assassin!"

"Me? Return to safety? You seem to be forgetting that I'm one of the strongest Shinobi in the village. And if that woman had wanted to kill me, she wouldn't be requesting to see me. If only you idiots could grow a brain." Tsunade rubbed the spot between her eyes tiredly and turned her attention to the half-paper woman. "So? I assume this is about Jiraiya's little mission into your city.. Konan was it? Have you met him?"

Konan swallowed her surprise at the fact that the Hokage recognized her. This would never have happened if that traitor Obito hadn't defected and gave everything away. "No, but I know what he is trying to do. I need to talk to him." She dropped her captives onto the floor and returned all the paper into her body.

The Hokage nodded understandingly. Minato had been coming back once a day to give an update on the status of their mission. "And you come to the Leaf because they've been evading you completely, making them impossible to find, correct?"

"Yes. I would like to discuss some settlements. Your recent invasion into our Nation has been worrying. If it is possible, could you put me in contact with Jiraiya-sensei?"

"That's easy. Come with me to my office." Tsunade turned her eyes around the area, sweeping them across the large body of Shinobi that had gathered at the tower. She turned to her desk manager. "Kirishima. Turn off the damned alarm and then get out. You're fired. Come see me tomorrow at 10 o'clock sharp and I'll see what other jobs you can be more suited for."

The desk manager opened and closed his mouth erratically. "But Tsunade-sama! I-"

" _Turn off the alarm you idiot._ "

Kirishima complied and bowed. The rest of the Shinobi in the area began filtering away.

Moments later, Konan was standing in the well-lit room of the Leaf's Hokage tower, subconsciously noting that it was many times more colorful and picturesque than Nagato's grey room. When she and Nagato got on good terms again, she was going to make sure that he moved somewhere else. Somewhere more cheery. As these thoughts filtered through her mind, the Hokage spoke offhandedly as she moved behind her desk. "Y'know, Minato's Flying Thunder God makes things so easy. If only all my Shinobi can make daily reports from anywhere on the continent at my discretion." Tsunade rummaged through some drawers. "But alas, there can only be one Yellow Flash. It's a pity.. ah. Found it."

She flipped a three-pronged kunai into the air and threw it up into the corner of the room. Konan stared at the kunai for a few seconds. Clearly something was supposed to happen, but.. "What-?"

Before she could even begin her query, a man suddenly appeared with the tip of his toes just touching the handle of the kunai, resulting in him standing diagonally from the corner of the ceiling.

Tsunade smiled proudly. "Minato. Bring Jiraiya here. "

"Right away." Minato's eyes landed on the blue-haired woman in the Akatsuki cloak. He smiled. There was only one person this could possibly be. "Jiraiya's really wanted to talk to you, Konan. He's going to be ecstatic." The man dropped from the ceiling, plucking the kunai from the corner and placing it on the floor. "I'll be right back."

Without warning, the man disappeared, leaving Konan to stare at the spot on which he'd been standing. She'd heard all the descriptions and seen some drawings of course - things that would've allowed her elementary recognition of the renowned Yellow Flash, but nothing could have prepared for the man's ungodly beauty. Namikaze Minato was so attractive, it was unethical.

The man reappeared with Jiraiya dropping next to him. "Tsunade, I know you've missed me but-" The old Sage suddenly noticed his former student standing in the room. There was no mistaking her appearance. Konan felt a twinge of nostalgia hit her as the Sage's entire countenance lit up with delight. "Konan! I can hardly believe this! Why are you here? What is-?" Jiraiya's eyes slowly dropped over her form. "Oooooh. You've become quite the beauty."

Konan rolled her eyes, her lips twitching slightly upwards. Jiraiya-sensei hadn't changed a single bit.

* * *

A/N:

* * *

I've been picking up activity on this site called Debate org (also known as DDO) - I know I'm such a bastard, using my extra time on a debate site rather than write my fanfic. I think I'll be dropping DDO soon though, so maybe expect to see more updates again. Maybe. I do have actual work to do after all. I mean.. once a week isn't so bad right? o-o


	48. (7) Alliance

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

"I'm still surprised that you managed to find me." The snake-like figure's voice hissed with amusement, echoing off the walls of the dark cavern. "So you'd trust me? Even after my predecessor so brilliantly turned against the organization?"

"Who said I needed to trust you in order to use you?" Another, deeper voice replied.

"True. But don't expect me to not turn against you if things go wrong. I'm only doing this for the entertainment value."

The purple-ringed eyes positively glowed. "Get on with it."

"Yeah, yeah." The figure smiled. "You do know that I still haven't learned how to completely shut down their minds right?"

"That is not an issue."

"Oh?"

"I will explain."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The four comrades sat in a square pattern around the embers of a smokeless fire - a kettle of tea sat brewing over it. They'd talked all evening, mostly to familiarize with the newest member of their group. Jiraiya served tea as they talked. She'd told them everything. Nagato's increasing coldness and megalomania, his attempt to remove her Chakra, his stubborn refusal to accept any solution but his own and his utter disregard for the life of his own compatriots. In turn, Jiraiya - with Minato's help - updated her on their plans and what they've done thus far.

The reason they'd been circling Ame and the reason that they hadn't just directly sought out the leader of the Akatsuki was apparently to avoid confronting other Shinobi of Rain. The group's desire to avoid causing any casualties made their newest addition feel slightly better about her decision to join them. The tea that Jiraiya had given her also seemed to calm her nerves, relieving the stress she'd been feeling at having made such a drastic move against her childhood friend.

Based on what she was being told, Minato had left twenty different dormant marks around the borders. The plan was to set up in a new location, draw the Rinnegan user, and - if possible - attempt negotiations. When that failed, they were to move on to the next location and repeat. All other methods of communication had failed. Konan confirmed that Nagato had read Jiraiya's first letter. He'd discussed it briefly with her before discarding it. The rest of the letters were simply burned. They had no need to peruse such 'useless proposals', according to Nagato.

Here, Jiraiya began to complain. He'd put a lot of thought into those letters. _Damn Nagato and his twisted need to destroy my writing!_

It was at this point that Obito spoke. "Konan."

Konan turned a quick, searching look at the silent Uchiha sitting on the other side of the firepit. Obito - Uchiha Madara - had been the reason the Akatsuki had become what it did. There was no doubt. The woman felt a tide of resentment rising in her guts as she stared into the single red eye of the most manipulative man she'd probably ever come to know. "Uchiha Obito."

Obito's eye glowed and suddenly, the world disappeared into darkness.

 _Genjutsu!_ Before Konan could act to dispel the illusion, the scene settled and she was once again back around the firepit in the outskirts of the forests of the Land of Waterfall. Except this time, Jiraiya-sensei and Namikaze Minato were gone. Only she and Obito remained. Konan glared at the traitorous Uchiha. She was still under his Genjutsu.

"Konan." The man said quietly.

"Obito." Konan answered. Since she was here, she might as well find out what this is about. "What are you trying to do?"

"Let us have a talk."

"You owe more than just a talk. I want an explanation. Why did you betray us? Why did you turn Nagato onto the path of destruction in the first place if you were just going to abandon us?"

"You will know in due time." Obito said simply. "You're only here so that I can ascertain your motives. Why are you here, Konan?"

If looks could burn, Obito would be shrouded in flames. "You know why I am here."

"To negotiate peace for your little nation. Yet you haven't spoken a word about these 'negotiations' to us."

"You-!"

"How pitiful." Obito chuckled. "To be thrown out of the very nation that you've been fighting for your entire life. You no longer hold any power do you?"

Konan bit her tongue, and managed to hold back an angry retort. Obito took the silence as his cue to continue.

"Some 'emissary' you turned out to be. Nagato has always been the one in control. You're nothing but a puppet - a piece for him to play in his convoluted scheme for peace."

Konan's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

"I'm mocking you, what do you think I'm saying? The Akatsuki is in shambles, and the most powerful three-man squad that the Leaf could possibly put together is right at his doorsteps. He's going to resort to some desperate measures."

"Get to the point."

Obito stared grimly at her with his single eye. "If I see you do anything that remotely resembles a threat against our group, I will personally make sure to eliminate that threat, regardless of what Jiraiya or Minato-sensei believes about peace or redemption."

"You think Nagato sent me to gain your trusts and to.. _stab you in the back_!?" Konan frowned. "You have no right to speak to me about _betrayal_ you four-faced, lying, manipulative _traitor_ _._ If anything, you're the one most likely to turn against the group."

Obito smiled. "Namikaze Minato is my mentor."

 _That doesn't mean anything._ Konan smirked. "And Jiraiya-sensei is mine."

"That doesn't mean anything." Obito replied offhandedly.

"I am done speaking to you." Konan consumed a fourth of her Chakra in an angry burst of Chakra. The Genjutsu dispelled, and suddenly Minato and Jiraiya-sensei were around the fire again, sitting where they were last seen.

"I'm sorry." Obito said quietly, seeming to continue the previous dialogue from before he'd applied his illusion.

Konan turned away, ignoring the apology. "I'm going to sleep." She stopped mid-step and turned to give what she hoped was a menacing look at her Sensei. Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "Make sure Jiraiya-sensei doesn't do anything.. unbecoming."

Jiraiya grinned. "I would never do that, especially to my own student. Isn't that right, Minato?"

Minato gave the Sage a deadpan look. "If you do anything to my fellow disciple, I will transport you to an island in the middle of the ocean where you can think about the errors of your ways until morning."

"Alright, alright. I am capable of basic decency you know." Jiraiya laughed. Still chuckling, Jiraiya moved toward the fire to retrieve his kettle of tea. He extended an open hand out toward his blonde disciple. "Hand it over."

Minato briefly looked into his near-empty tea cup and handed it to his mentor, who filled the cup to its brim before offering it back.

As Minato took the tea from his hands, Jiraiya continued the previous dialogue. "But since Obito here obviously doesn't trust her, I think we should put a watch to allay his fears."

Minato sighed. It wasn't hard to catch that Obito had cast a Genjutsu on the woman, especially when he could sense the Chakra bubbling up into the Uchiha's eye at the precise moment she'd turned to him. The man hadn't been as subtle as he'd thought.

To his credit, Obito took the discovery of his Genjutsu in stride. "She's been with us for less than three hours. I wouldn't trust her."

Jiraiya nodded. "That's why we'll have Minato put his seal on her."

"Yes. Wait!" Minato balked. "What?!"

"I agree." Obito hummed in agreement. "Minato-sensei, if she tries anything, you'll be right there to stop her. It's the best way to ensure nothing happens."

"There must be some other way to do this." Minato's mind began to wheel through some alternatives. Excluding enemy-nin - who were usually dead soon after, the only woman he'd ever laid his seal on was his wife. Jiraiya was right. The seal was a complete and utter invasion of privacy. This was.. this was unethical. "She won't betray us. I trust her."

"You trust me." Obito said flatly.

"Should I not have?"

"Rationally? No."

Minato scoffed. "Well we could.. take turns watching her."

Jiraiya grinned. "That's just awkward."

"It is but.." _so is this_. "Jiraiya-sensei. You know why I can't do this."

Jiraiya shook his head. "If you can put it on Obito and me, you can certainly put it on her. It's the best way to go about solving our problem. I don't see why you're hesitating."

"Yes you do! It's because-" Minato reddened slightly. "You _know_."

The blonde looked between his student and his mentor. Neither were letting up. "You're not being objective, Minato-sensei."

Jiraiya nodded. "Mhm."

Minato sighed and slowly walked toward his co-disciple. The woman stepped back. "I'd like a say in this."

Ten feet behind Minato's shoulder, she could see Jiraiya looking back at her with a carefully composed expression. "I want to trust you Konan. More than anything, but I cannot put our lives or our mission in jeopardy." The old Sage rubbed the back of his neck in what was supposed to be a sheepish gesture. "You know how it is."

Konan stared briefly into the man's eyes and knew, deep down, that somehow, Jiraiya-sensei was enjoying this situation. With her fellow student's reactions, she was sure something was up. Konan turned her attention to Minato, who seemed to be waiting for her response. "What exactly does this seal do?"  
"It allows me to perfectly sense what you do with your Chakra, your movements and anything around you in a small radius."

"I see. It is indeed a good tool for surveillance." Konan paused briefly. "I understand. Do what you must."

Minato reached forward. Konan's heart skipped a beat. As his hand touched her neck, a sealing script glowed and disappeared, leaving the area unblemished as before. The man withdrew his hand. "Good night, Konan-san."

Konan nodded and the group split up, each to their own space. _What was all the fuss about?_ The woman frowned. Although she was unhappy about the fact that even Jiraiya-sensei didn't trust her, she couldn't deny that it was the most rational approach.

In her makeshift shelter, she put a hand to the place where the seal was inscribed. Namikaze Minato.. his touch had left a tingle on her skin, a heat that refused to go away. Konan swallowed. She hadn't felt this way in a long time. She recognized what it was. She'd be stupid not to. Jiraiya-sensei.. he must've anticipated this reaction. No man had the right to be so attractive. Suddenly, Konan sat up as she realized the full implications of the man's ability to sense her every movement. Her desire.. she couldn't succumb to it. Could she?

Even a sensor-nin could only catch mere traces of Chakra. It couldn't be that bad. Konan's breath hitched, the thought making her slightly giddy. "Let's see if you can sense _this_."

On the other side of the camp grounds. Minato draped an arm over his eyes and groaned, his face a deep shade of scarlet.

Nearby, Jiraiya was trying his best not to cheer aloud. Konan had miraculously joined their side, and he'd finally gotten Minato back for making him suffer the seal. If there was any word he could use to describe this day, it would be ' _successful'_. Besides, there was nothing wrong with a little romance, was there? No. Of course not! If anything, he was doing a good deed! As long as something happened before the effects of his tea wore off tomorrow evening, he would be happy. In fact, if things went as planned, that something was guaranteed to happen. It would solidify one student's bonds while helping to heal the heart of the other.

The Sage gave a self-satisfied sigh as he dozed off to dreams of women, toads, and grandchildren.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The man's laughter resounded in the cavern. "You're a genius.." The voice choked, still laced with barely suppressed humor. "I knew this would be fun!"

"Then get on with it."

"Fufu, always so impatient huh? As it happens, I do have the body and the DNA you require. You may thank the fact that Orochimaru-sama keeps such a detailed storage of samples. His collections are rarely lacking."

"Then prepare them."

The man rolled his eyes. "You really don't know how to keep people on your side do you? Being an ass certainly doesn't help."

After several minutes, a body and a small sample of blood lay in the middle of a casket.

The man closed the casket and ran through several hand signs. He couldn't help but grin as he reached the last one. _OH this is going to be FUN!_ "' _Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!_ "

The casket opened and a woman could be seen lying in it, her eyes slowly opening. Her hair fell past her shoulders in a brilliant array of red as she shifted slightly in place. She shouldn't be here. The last thing she remembered was watching her love die for the village and their son. _Naruto.. Minato._

The woman suddenly sat up, repressing her surprise at the unexpected people around her. Even more surprising were those purple ringed eyes that one of them had. _Rinnegan!_

"Who are you? Where am I?"

Although she was specifically directing the question to the Rinnegan user, it was the other man - the man with the light blue hair and snake-ish features - that spoke. "I'm Kabuto. It's a pleasure to meet you, Uzumaki-san."

"Uzumaki-san?"

"Yes." Kabuto smiled gently. "And if you're wondering where we are, well.. let's just say the world has changed much since you've last seen it. My partner here will explain."

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

I couldn't help it. I was in a bad mood. It's the weekends. I needed to write. I needed to let some steam off. I'm sorry schoolwork and sleep. I have failed you. :(

1/11/2016 - MITTENS EDITING-TRAIN COMING THROUGH. CHOOCHOO!


	49. (7) Ceasefire

Disclaimer: Don't worry. I don't own Naruto.

* * *

The Hidden Mist was home to some of the most powerful fighters on the continent, the Seven Mist Swordsmen being only some of the more well-known. _The Seven Mist Swordsmen_ , Yagura smirked. Of the original seven, only two remained. The rest had fled or turned traitor against him. No matter. They will be found.. eventually, and they will be executed. Yagura sat perfectly still on the seat of his office, waiting for the next report. His child-like features belied a man who ran the country under an iron fist. The 'Village of the Bloody Mist' they'd called it.

Yagura smiled. It had a macabre ring to it. In other words, it was _perfect_. It made his village all the more intimidating. He was going to have to stage another public execution tomorrow, keep the masses scared and under his control. The man licked his lips. Yes. He enjoyed pain. He enjoyed suffering. It was what he lived for - to create pain and suffering.

Suddenly something popped, and Yagura very neatly fell forward onto his desk, losing consciousness. As the darkness receded, the Kage's mind cleared. _I'm free!_

Slowly, the Mizukage reached into his mindscape to the three-tails within. ' _Isobu. Are you there?"_

The massive turtle rose slowly, its eyes glazing over the child-like Kage. ' _ **Yes. The masked man hasn't updated his Genjutsu in several months and his influence no longer holds. Damn the Sharingan. Damn it to the deepest pits of hell. Damn you for being so weak and letting him do that to us!**_ '

' _That makes two of us. Heheh.'_ Yagura's smile was earsplitting. ' _I can't believe we got our freedom back! What do you supposed happened to him? You don't think he just gave up control of an entire nation just like that do you?'_

' _ **No.'**_ The turtle mused. ' _ **Whatever happened to him, he's either dead or incapacitated. There is no practical reason to relinquish the power he held over us and your village.**_ '

' _Then.. then we're really free?!'_

The turtle nodded, the word lifting its spirits inexorably. ' _ **Yes. Free.**_ '

Without further words, the Kage departed from his mindscape. He stood perfectly still for several moments, the full impact of his freedom making him dizzy. "I'm _free.."_

The Kage sat back down on his chair and laughed. "I'M FREE!"

Suddenly, his office-guard poked his head in. "M-mizukage-sama." The man said nervously. "I-is something wrong?"

He stood to survey the village from his office. The Village of the Bloody Mist. What a horrible name. Kaguya clenched his fists. Things were going to change.. and for the better. "No, Kazuo. Nothing's the matter. In fact, why don't you come in?"

The man hesitated with a gulp, then nodded. With a quick step through the door, he bowed. "Mizukage-sama, what do you require of me?"

"Nothing, Kazuo." Yagura smiled. "I'd just like to apologize for being so harsh on you these last few years."

"Harsh? No!" The man bowed and scraped placatingly. "Your will is my command, Mizukage-sama."

"Yes well." Yagura scratched his face with a finger. "Tell you what. Call in all my Shinobi forces. We need to have a talk."

The man's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "But.. Mizukage-sama! The Civil War! If we bring them back, the rebels will take back all the land that we've gained! You must reconsider!"

Yagura intoned seriously. "There are children in the streets. Families with nothing to eat."

The man nearly fell over with incredulity. Just yesterday the Mizukage was telling him that they needed to redouble their efforts in eliminating the 'unsanitary elements' that 'littered' their streets. "What about the.. um..men that you've hired over the years to deal with our poor? What do we do with those?"

"Hmm." The Kage paused in thought. "I did make a system where only the most powerful got to the top didn't I? We probably have a lot of shady characters in the upper notches of the ranking system."

Kazuo began to shake. Something had happened to their Mizukage. Whatever was going on, it was making him nervous. This was a test. It had to had to be. "Do you still require that I recall them from their posts?"

"Yes of course." Yagura nodded seriously. "Get to it, Kazuo. That is a command."

"Yes, Mizukage-sama!" Kazuo bowed and left quickly.

After the man left, Yagura flexed his hands. With the masked man gone, he can finally work to rebuild the Hidden Mist into the image he'd had of it when he first became Kage. The Hidden Mist will be great. It will be powerful, and it will be prosperous.

He sent his Chakra spearing through the water to signal his other messengers. Within short notice, an array of Shinobi were standing before him. As one, they bowed. "Mizukage-sama! What do you require of us?"

"I want you to reach out to the heads of the rebel army. You." The Kage began to point from left to right across the files. "You, you, you and you. I want you to lead your messengers to contact the rebels in the North as one. Tell them that I request a ceasefire. The withdrawal of our troops shall be presented as proof of our willingness to negotiate. The rest of you will head South and spread the same message. Also, we are no longer offering bounties for the heads of any of the rebel-criminals we have listed on our Bingo books. Are my commands clear?"

The messengers looked each other in the eye. This ceasefire was.. sudden.. They'd been campaigning for years against the rebels, and Yagura had even threatened to execute any who dared to voice dissent against the efforts to quashing the rebellion.

Yagura sighed. "My word is absolute. Either obey or suffer the consequences."

"Yes, Mizukage-sama!" As one the messengers saluted.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Mei Terumi, leader of the Kiri-rebels, looked through the reports. Her mouth dropped open. "They're.. _retreating?!_ "

"Yes." The man to her side, wearing an eyepatch, replied.

"Ao.." The rebel-leader looked up to one of her most trusted commanders. "What does this mean for us?"

Ao shook his head. "It might not mean anything. I wouldn't be surprised if this ceasefire talk were a trap. Tell them that if they want to talk agreements, we're doing it in a place of our choosing."

"That's what I thought. Although.." Mei smiled sadly. "..they _have_ relinquished nearly all their strategic locations to us. I can't see this as anything other than a legitimate bid for peace."

Ao sighed. "If only it were so easy, Mei."

The woman regained her composure and put the papers down. "I'll go meet Yagura's messengers. We'll tell them that we'll agree to meet at the open plains near Nagasaki village. We'll also tell them that we'll talk to none but the Mizukage."

"We should also tell them that he can bring no more than two squads of 'escorts'."

"I'll do that, Ao." With that, the ravishing leader of the Hidden Mist rebels exited her tent to speak with the messengers of the main force. It could all very well be a trap, but with such good terms, it was impossible to turn down this plea for peace. If they wanted avoid further casualties of war, there wasn't any good reason not to do this. It was as good as things were going to get.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Mei." The child-like Kage stood alone on their predetermined meeting spot.

"Yagura." The rebel-leader frowned. This had to be a trick. "You came.. alone?"

The Kage laughed. "Don't worry about me. I can single-handedly hold off every single one of you. At worst, I'll only be able to just match the power of your forces. In any case, why don't we get on with the terms of peace?"

"After all these years? Why now?!"

"Well.. it's kind of hard to explain." Yagura smiled sadly. "I am very sorry for all the suffering I caused. I want to restructure the village and make it stronger and better than ever before. To do that, I will need your help."

"You monster!" One of the Shinobi from the crowd suddenly yelled. "You killed my sister! My little sister! She was but a child! Mei-sama! Let's not listen to his trickeries! He's alone! Let's kill him!"

The rebel leader shook her head. "Even without an escort, Yagura has full control of his Bijuu's powers. He's right. At best we'd match him. Fighting will only result in more useless casualties."

"But-"

"My decision has been made. Yagura. As you have seen, the people will never accept you as Mizukage. The horrors you've brought upon us cannot just be forgotten. If you seek peace, then step down."

The crowd around her began to rouse.

" _Yeah! Step down!"_

" _Mei-sama will be a better Mizukage than you will ever be!"  
_

" _Monster!"_

" _Monster!"_

" _Step down!"_

Yagura watched the angry crowd without flinching. It was true most of them had lost family members because of him. Or rather, because of the masked man, but such a detail meant nothing. That his hands were the ones stained with blood was their only concern.

"I will step down on one condition."

Mei narrowed her eyes. This was too easy, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Name it."

"You will pardon me and all my subordinates of any and all war crimes, of which both sides have been guilty."  
" _You're the one who started-"_

"Be quiet!" Mei raised a hand to silence any further interruptions. "Would you rather we continue fighting the civil war? Would you rather we kept dying? We have here a chance at achieving our goals without bloodshed. Only an idiot would choose the path of war."

The voices of dissent immediately stopped, much to Yagura's approval. He continued. "You will pardon our war crimes, we will pardon yours. Let us live together in harmony. Do we have an accord?"

"How will you keep your subordinates in line? Some of them are known to be savage killers."

"A good question." Yagura replied seriously. "As you should already know, the position of power I hold is that of an absolute dictator. I gave my people an ultimatum. Stay and live without war and death - build a nation together - or leave. None of them dare disobey me."

Ao gave a short laugh. "The need for you to resort to threats and intimidation shows how lackluster your leadership skills really are. In any case. I believe these accords are reasonable."

"Yes. If you will hold to your promise, we will hold to ours." Mei smiled. "The Hidden Mist shall grow to rival even the greatest of the Five Nations. We accept your conditions."

"And I yours."

Mei turned to her fellow rebels. "Good people of Kiri. We have achieved our goal! The village is ours!"  
The rebels cheered. Although many were put off by the inability to kill the Mizukage and avenge their families and brethren, this was a momentous moment. It signified the end of their fighting. It signified peace.

Yagura was right. Nobody dared defy his orders, and many of his former subordinates had recognized their leader's resignation with stiff obedience. Their stiffness however gradually disintegrated as they worked through the weeks rebuilding the village and the surrounding lands.

The former Mizukage worked just as hard as any of the other constituents of the village in rebuilding the damaged economy and infrastructure, and although the hatred many held against him did not entirely vanish, many Shinobi had at least stopped trying to assassinate him.

Yagura sat alone on a wall eating a baked yam while a large number of eyes glared at him from below and to his side. The former Kage sighed. It wasn't the best situation, but it was progress.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The Mizukage walked over to her predecessor and sat next to him. "Yagura."

"Mizukage-sama." Yagura replied stiffly, the idea that he was calling anyone 'Mizukage-sama' was still slightly disorienting, but he was getting used to it. "What do you need?"

"I still can't get over the fact that you look like a kid."

"Hey!" The man puffed out his cheeks unhappily. "I'm _just_ as old as you are, OK?"

The Hidden Mist's charismatic new Kage laughed merrily. "Alright. I understand. I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?" Yagura scratched his cheek curiously.

Mei smiled. "You're so cute."

"Hm." The Jinchuuriki sniffed. "If that's all you wanted to talk about.."

"No. This is something that has been weighing on my mind. I want to know."

"Please do ask."

Mei nodded. "I know you said that it was hard to explain, but I want to know why you suddenly decided to relinquish the power which you held with such an iron force all these years? I need to know. Is it important?"

"You won't believe me."

"Try me."

"Well.." Yagura paused. "A masked man appeared in my office one day right out of thin air. He can traverse space time without any problem, so none of the guards caught him. In any case, he also happened to be an Uchiha. He cast a powerful Genjutsu on me with his Sharingan, and I've been under his control until recently."

"That.." Mei thought carefully about what she'd just been told. "That sounds convoluted."

"I know."

The Mizukage put a hand on her predecessor's shoulder. "I believe you."

"You do?" Yagura smiled.

"Yes."

Suddenly, an Earth-shaking force rumbled through the entire village. Yagura's smile dropped instantly. "What's going on?"  
Mei steadied her balance with an infusion of Chakra and looked around. A Shinobi dropped in front of her and knelt despite the massive seismic activity going on around them. "Mizukage-sama, you must evacuate immediately."  
Yagura's eyes sharpened into focus. "Why?"

The Shinobi would have stopped to glare at his former enemy for replying in place of his Mizukage, but he didn't have time. "The village it's-"  
A scream rent the air and all the people in the area turned to watch as massive blocs of the city erupted off the ground and flew up into the air. On and around those city bloc, hundreds of people were also floating up, unable to control their movements to any degree.

Mei gaped in horror. What in the world was going on? Why was this happening? After they'd worked so hard. After things were finally starting to look up. Why?!

Yagura grabbed the stricken Mizukage. "Run."

One kilometer out from the village of the Hidden Mist, a maroon-haired man stood with his legs spread shoulder width apart. He had to admit. To have developed such advanced surgical and medical techniques, Orochimaru was a veritable genius. That's not to say Kabuto wasn't just as capable. He was the one who performed the operation after all. His new legs were working perfectly. His emaciation had also been an easy fix with his Preta Path. It came at the cost of a few of Orochimaru's human experiments, but their lives were trivial. He'd never been more powerful with all his Paths and his Chakra concentrated on one body. It was _exhilarating_. With his palms clasped together, the man roared. "' _ **Chibaku Tensei!** '_"

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

POW PA POW POW PA POW POW!


	50. (7) Hope

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I do own a pair of Pink Sunglasses. I wear them whenever it's sunny outside. Mmm. Pink.

* * *

Many kilometers out from the village, Yagura stood with the recently-minted Mizukage as he stared in wonder at the massive ball of earth that hung above what used to be the village of the Hidden Mist.

Mei collapsed onto the mud and stared up into the sky. As if to mock her misery, the sky began to pour, and the two were promptly soaked with rainwater.

Yagura simply stood in place. What had just happened was completely unreal. In fact, he didn't believe it. The Jinchuuriki sent a powerful burst of Chakra to dispel whatever Genjutsu that may have been cast on him. Nothing happened. There was no Genjutsu.

"Mei."

The Mizukage remained knelt in the mud.

"Mei. What do we do now?"  
"I don't know."

Yagura chuckled without humor. "That makes two of us."

The woman before him suddenly turned and pushed the man to the ground. She further restrained him with locks of water encircling his limbs. "This was all part of your plan wasn't it?! I knew it was too easy. Give me a reason I shouldn't strangle you right now."

"..."  
"Yagura!"

"Mei. Do you honestly believe I'm capable of _that_?" The man gestured toward the ball the size of several mountains that hung suspended in the sky.

"Who knows? You _are_ the Jinchuuriki of the Three-tails after all."

"Even the three-tails himself is not capable of such a feat. I was with you the entire time while it was happening. A technique like that would've required my full attention. Besides, I wanted to rule the village, not destroy it. A lot of those men in there were formerly my subordinates… you said you believed me."

The rain pummeled them loudly as the Mizukage held her captive in place for a few moments of silence. Finally, she relented, and Yagura was freed.

From above, a third voice interrupted the scene. "You humans are disgusting. Even as allies, you strike at each other's throats."  
The two Kiri-nin turned as one to the sight of a man floating high off the ground. His most striking features, however, were his eyes.

"It's the Rinnegan.." Yagura whispered in awe.

"Who are you?" Mei asked.

"I am the savior of the world." The man replied grimly. "I am the one who destroyed your village."

"Why?" Yagura brought his hands together and split them in one smooth, horizontal movement. From under his hands, a staff appeared seemingly out of nothing.

"The reason is beyond mortals such as you. Your only options, Three-tails, are to submit yourself to me and die or fight me and die. Let us not waste time."

Yagura smirked. "You speak as if it's going to be easy to beat us."

"I have no reason to believe otherwise." The Rinnegan-user gave an answering smirk, and lurched suddenly to the left. From behind him, several spears of water lanced the space in which he'd occupied just seconds before.

Unfazed by the unexpected evasion. Mei gave an angry grunt of effort and hundreds of spears flew at her target from every direction. Here, in the rain, she had the upper hand. The water around them provided her with unlimited ammunition.

The spears stopped mid-air, bursting upon an invisible barrier.

Nagato smirked. "Is that all you are capable of, Mizukage?"

Yagura popped up into the air behind him. Nagato turned, evading the heavy swing of the staff. He drew a black rod from his sleeves and stabbed it toward the three-tails. With an expert twirl of his staff, Yagura deflected the rod and whirled several consecutive strikes. The Rinnegan caught every movement, and Nagato floated light as air around his target as he dodged every blow. A massive dragon of water flew at him from the Mizukage as he deftly avoided the Jinchuuriki's attacks.

Nagato raised a palm and brought it whistling down. A simultaneous force of invisible gravity pulled both the dragon, the Jinchuuriki near him, and the Mizukage to the earth, flattening them into the mud.

As she fell to the ground, Mei injected several lances of water into the mud. The water broke out from behind their aggressor. This time she had him.

To her surprise, the man turned on his feet, somehow detecting the attack and redirected the spears toward Yagura. Crawling up on his hands and knees, the former Mizukage drew a circle in the air, causing a mirror of water to appear. The projectiles of water speared the mirror, and was deflected by an attack of the same force that came projecting out of that mirror.

The Jinchuuriki spun into the air and regained his footing but was promptly crushed into the Earth once more.

"' _Shinra Tensei!'_ "

The two Kiri-nin struggled futilely against the oppressive force. Suddenly, massive chunks of earth and rock came flying down at them from the sky. With a yell, Yagura took the full form of the Three-tails, blowing the landscape around him into smithereens.

"So that's how it's going to be, is it? Sanbi." Nagato raised a hand and the massive turtle was sent hurling miles into the air.

On the ground, behind a shield of water, Mei gaped at the awesome display of power. They couldn't win. Not against this.

Nagato walked slowly toward the woman. The Mizukage made her last attempts at an offense, sending lance after lance of water crashing down at the monster that approached her. The techniques glanced harmlessly through and was.. _absorbed?_.. into an invisible shield.

"You cannot harm me with Ninjutsu, human."

"Then.. why did you block my attacks earlier?"

"It was to show you the truth, Mizukage." Nagato replied tonelessly. "The rain is my domain, not yours."

With that, Nagato reached down and plucked the woman's soul from her body, absorbing all her techniques and her life along with it.

Moments later, Yagura came crashing down, still in the form of the Three-tails. He knew that Mei was dead. He couldn't sense her anywhere. With an angry cry, he sent a tailed-beast ball flying at the man who'd destroyed everything - the man who'd ruined all their dreams.

Nagato stopped the ball with a firm application of his gravitational technique, causing it to be redirected to the side. The projectile erupted several kilometers away, causing the Earth to shake from its power. He walked casually toward the massive Bijuu. "You may be powerful among the sheep around you, but compared to me, you are _nothing_. You have nothing left to fight for. Lay down and die."

Yagura's anguish and rage reached a breaking point and he roared. Nagato stood his ground without a single trace of fear. He didn't think the Jinchuuriki would just give up after he'd killed the woman who held obvious significance to him. They were all the same. The hatred and pain will never end until he succeeded in his plans. "If you desire to be trodden in the mud before being subdued, I will not deny you. _Come._ "

The creature's fury came off in thick volumes of oppressive Chakra, and it charged the arrogant man that dared to stand in its way.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kushina sat in a furnished room, scratching complicated sealing structures and designs on a blank page. All around her were partial designs, afterthoughts and discarded theories. If one were to have asked her what she'd be doing in the afterlife, designing seals for the Sage of Six Paths wouldn't have been one of them. In fact, even this dark, winding cave didn't fit any of her conceptions of life after death.

She'd thought it be.. brighter. Happier. Worst of all, she'd expected Minato to be here with her. A silly thought really. His soul was trapped in the Shinigami's belly for eternity, and she was trapped in some weird purgatory designing seals.

Well.. it's not really purgatory. This was the real world.. her world.

Yet.. it wasn't. Everyone that mattered to her were gone.

Tears dropped from her eyes as she laid out another basic diagram, splattering the page and blurring the ink structures. That heartless Fox had destroyed everything. Naruto hadn't even lived to be a year old.

Hands shaking, the red-head dropped her brush and buried her face in her hands. Her benefactors' words once again began to play through her head.

* * *

-Flashback-

* * *

" _My partner here will explain." Kabuto said gently. "It might be a bit hard to digest, but please try to stay calm until after he's done telling it."_

" _Your partner?"_

" _Actually, calling him 'partner' might be a bit presumptuous." Kabuto confirmed. "He_ is _the Sage of Six Paths after all."_

" _Indeed." The Sage himself spoke, his voice exuding power and demanding attention. Her mouth went dry. The Sage looked different than what some of their books had portrayed, but their records weren't based on any real information. It'd been more guesswork than anything. she did not doubt for a second that this man was anyone but the Sage of Six Paths. He had the Rinnegan after all._

" _Uzumaki. We have brought you back to life for a special purpose." The Sage paused to allow the redhead to make a response. When she didn't, he continued. "Over a thousand years ago, the most powerful force of nature, the creature known as the Ten-tails, wreaked havoc upon the world."_

" _The ten-tails? Such a thing exists?"_

" _Yes." The Sage replied. "None were capable of stopping it. None.. but me. I sealed the ten-tails and split it into nine different beings. These are what is known to you as the Nine Bijuu."_

" _Why are you telling me this?"_

 _At this Kabuto sighed. "I supposed there's no point delaying it. You may as well tell her."_

" _Tell me? Tell me what?"_

" _No." The Sage frowned. "It's better to show her."_

" _I suppose." Kabuto nodded. He looked to the Sage. "I guess we can show her my village. It's the closest one after all."_

 _The Sage turned on his feet. "Come."_

 _Kushina stood hesitantly and followed. They moved through several long winding tunnels, always moving up. Apparently they were deep underground. As if reading her mind, Kabuto spoke. "The grounds above is unsafe. We have the Sage of Six Paths with us so it isn't so bad, but usually being aboveground meant risking being detected."  
_

" _Detected? By what?" she asked._

" _All shall be explained." The Sage intoned seriously. "Come. Our time is limited."_

 _Kabuto sighed. "I suppose I'll let him tell you then."_

 _She put the pieces of the puzzle together. The Sage of Six Paths, his story on the origins of the Bijuu.. "It's the ten-tails isn't it?"_

 _The Sage stopped moving, causing Kushina to almost collide against him. The man turned, his eyes seeming to glow. "Come."_

 _They came out at the bank of a mud-river. Ahead of that river was a massive crater of land. Shattered ruins of buildings littered the area. The destruction expanded for many miles outwards. As they walked through the debris, she looked around in wide-eyed wonder. Not a single living thing could be seen in the desolate wasteland._

" _Where are we? Where's your village?" She asked. She already knew the answer they'd give her. Such a massive scale of destruction was almost unfathomable._

 _Kabuto stared in silence for several long moments before replying. "Do you recognize any landmarks?"_

 _Kushina looked around carefully. "It looks like we're in the Land of Water.._ _Oh no. This.. this can't be your village can it?_ "

 _"It is. We are standing on what was once the Hidden Mist." Tears crawled down the man's cheeks as he spoke._ _"This is my village."_

 _"What happened? How!?"_

 _The Sage turned, finally stopping his march. "The Ten-tails. It has been reformed."_

" _Uzumaki-san." Kabuto said quietly. "This might be a bit of a shock for you but.. the Ten-tails was reformed by the Nine-tails, who sought out and absorbed its brethren. By the time the Four Nations formed a Shinobi Alliance to fight the Bijuu, it had already taken the three-tails, the four-tails and the five-tails into its body.. they failed."_

" _They failed?!"_

 _Kabuto licked his lips. "Unfortunately, yes."_

" _Wait, Four Nations? Isn't it the 'Five Nations?'"_

 _Kabuto stopped short. "No. The Hidden Leaf had long been destroyed by then. Some time around the year 103, the Nine-tails got loose. Apparently the Hidden Leaf had been the ones who held this most powerful Bijuu at bay all along."_

" _Year 103? But that's when.. that's when.."_

 _Kabuto quirked his head. "When what?"_

" _We sealed it. My husband and I. We made sure that the Nine-tails couldn't get away. It couldn't have gotten away. I'm certain! It's impossible!"_

 _Kabuto looked up into the sky in thought. "I'm not entirely sure what happened, but based on what I heard around the time, there was a private disaster that happened in the Hidden Leaf village that had supposedly been taken care of. Then, a couple weeks later, we heard that the Nine-tails had gotten loose."_

" _No. It can't be!"_

" _It's what happened." Kabuto shook his head sadly. "The Hidden Leaf failed to correctly keep the Nine-tails contained, and they paid the price."_

 _Kushina knelt in sorrow. "Why did you summon me? Why am I here?"_

 _This time, it was the Sage that responded. "I have weakened the Ten-tails severely. It is currently evading capture. Each day that passes is another day that the Ten-tails recovers its powers. I on the other hand, have made great sacrifices to stop it from further destroying the rest of the continent.. sacrifices that cannot be reversed. However, in my current state, I am more powerful than the Ten-tails."_

" _Then why do you need me here? Why do you make me suffer like this?"_

 _The Sage stared impassively into her eyes. "I cannot catch the creature. Its arrogance led it to confront me initially, but it has learned better. Now it is biding its time. Every time I near the creature, it picks up my Chakra and it vanishes. We need you to design a seal to stop it from travelling through space-time long enough for me to seal it away.. permanently."_

 _She stood and walked a few meters away, her back facing the two men. "What if I can't do it?"_

" _Then I return your soul to the pure world."_

" _And what'll you do next?"_

" _Well." Kabuto sighed. " We'll try to survive for as long as we can, but eventually the Ten-tails will regain its power. Then, we die.. I suppose."_

" _Why did you revive me? Why not my father? Why not my ancestors?"_

 _Kabuto gave her a pleading look. "You are the last of the Uzumaki whose remains I have access to. I've revived several before you. Most of them have been orphans with no formal training on the art of sealing from Uzushio. In fact, most didn't even know that they were of Uzumaki descent. You are humanity's last hope." Kabuto knelt and bowed, his head hitting the dirt of the ruins. "Please Uzumaki-san. If you can help us, I beg you to do so."_

" _Kabuto-san!" She made to lift the man frantically. "Please don't stand on ceremony. I am in fact capable of doing what you need me to do. And of course I'd help you! Anyone in my shoes would do the same."_

" _You will?" Kabuto smiled._

" _Yes. And my name is Kushina. Uzumaki Kushina."_

" _Then, Uzumaki Kushina." The Sage said seriously. "We need to return to our holdings. It is unsafe here."_

 _She nodded and they moved to the cavern entrance and descended once more._

 _As they walked, Kabuto spoke about his efforts at evading the Ten-tails. It was horrible. She didn't want to hear any of it, but she couldn't bring herself to so rudely interrupt his tale. Kabuto had been through a lot after all. Listening was the least she could do._

* * *

-End Flashback-

* * *

"Kushina-san?"

Kushina sat up, her thoughts disrupted. She put on a smile. "Kabuto-san. I'm sorry I got lost in my thoughts. It's just.. it's just so much to swallow."

"I know." Kabuto nodded understandingly. "When I first heard that the Bijuu had destroyed my village, I was just as surprised. There was nothing we could do. Sad isn't it? That the Elemental Nations finally unite at the last moment when everything no longer mattered?"

"I can't stop thinking about it. I was there. I was sure the Nine-tails had been sealed correctly. My husband and I sacrificed our lives to make sure of that.. it's.. I can't believe it."

Kabuto sighed. "There's no point wallowing in the past now, Kushina-san. The only thing left to do is for us to make sure that the Ten-tails is stopped."

"Don't worry." Kushina said with a reassuring smile. "My seal will be airtight against teleportation. My husband had a similar technique. It may take me awhile, but I think I know how to go about countering it. The Ten-tails won't be going anywhere."

"Thank you Kushina-san." Kabuto smiled. "You give me hope."

"That's what you summoned me here for right?"  
"Yes." Kabuto's face became hard with determination. "We are going to save the world."

Kushina gave a small nod and resumed her work with renewed vigor.

Kabuto's lips twitched. "I'll leave you to it then."

He received a hum of agreement, and he walked out toward his lab. After doing a few quick checks, he sealed the lab door shut and fell to the ground clutching his stomach.

Spittle flew from his mouth as he laughed until it hurt and then laughed some more. The _entire_ situation - Kushina sitting inside a room designing a seal against her own husband and Kushina believing every word of his idiotic story ( _Every Word!)_.. Kabuto gasped for breath as his glasses clattered to the floor. He couldn't stop laughing. If only his mentor had been alive to see this. Orochimaru would've been _proud_.

* * *

A/N

* * *

hnhnhnhnhn

HNHNNHHHNNHNHNHN

AHAHAHHAHAHAH

AHAHHAHAHHA

HAHAHHA

*GASP

AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHHAHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

That's right. I'm Kira.


	51. (7) Attraction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I do, however, temporarily own a room in the awesome state of California. :)

* * *

Jiraiya woke before the sun even had a chance to rise. A few birds were chirping around outside in the dark as birds often do in the early mornings. With a yawn, the old Sage sat up and stretched. "Time to get some worms."

Not far to his side, Minato sat up. Jiraiya smiled cheerily. "Yo. Good morning."

The blonde nodded and the two moved outside. They were soon joined by the resident Uchiha. "Good morning." Jiraiya said chirpily.

Obito gave an answering grunt. Jiraiya nodded and turned, the smile almost literally melting off his face. It seemed neither of the other two men were feeling particularly friendly this morning. _For crying out loud, it's just two words!_ "As always, we'll start with the stretching."

Silently, the group began running through Jiraiya's morning exercise routine. For an old man, the Toad Sage was still surprisingly flexible. For someone who made a career out of close combat, flexibility was paramount for maximal bodily control. While normally it'd be extremely rare to see a 50 year old man able to perform splits and other such impossible-looking contortions - even among Shinobi - Jiraiya kept his body in pristine condition. It was how he kept himself sharp and able in his field. It was also how he kept himself more than presentable to the women he courted. One-sided attractions just didn't make for healthy physical relationships.

Being taught and raised by the Toad Sage himself, Minato had also picked up on this particular habit. Even Obito had developed the same routine. It was the first thing Minato had taught his students when they still had an official student-teacher relation.

It made Jiraiya proud to think that his successors still carried on his teachings. As they ran through the first elementary Katas, he wondered what old man Sarutobi would've thought if he knew that the training techniques that he'd developed had been passed down three entire generations - four if he counted the fact that Minato was imparting it to his son and the boy's Uchiha friend who was infinitely more stable since Itachi's official return to the village. It saddened him to think about it. The Third would've been glad to know that the remaining Uchiha have been given their much-deserved closure. He was also sure that the old man would've been ecstatic to know of Minato's miraculous revival - even if it was facilitated through some disgusting experiment by Orochimaru.

The group flew through several more movements and covered more grounds in the dark air of the early morning, causing the birds to fly away from their vicinity to avoid being trampled. Suddenly, Jiraiya suddenly stopped in the middle of the first set of his kata. "Good morning, Konan!" He announced loudly. "Why don't you join us?"

"Good morning." Konan said with a yawn as she slipped out of her tent-like shelter. "The usual?"

"Yep." Jiraiya replied delightedly. _Finally someone who knows how to say 'good morning'._ "Well I suppose we can start over with the stretches. It'll only take ten minutes."

Konan nodded and moved to join the ranks.

"How did you know I was awake?"

"That's a secret." Jiraiya said with a grin as he began the first of the stretches. While they'd been doing the kata, he'd seen Minato make a small mistake, taking one of the forms out of sequence. Minato almost never made mistakes, and in that instant, Jiraiya - ever astute in things of such a nature - knew _exactly_ why his protege had faltered. _Perfect_.

While Obito watched the newcomer with wariness, Minato was making the conscious effort to look as if the woman wasn't causing him any discomfort. After thirty minutes, the sky began to slowly brighten. At the same time, they'd finished their exercises. It was time to attend to matters of hygiene and nutrition.

"Let's get some food and get washed up." Jiraiya gave his arms a final stretch. "Obito and I will get cleaned up first. Minato. You and Konan prepare the food this morning."

Minato stared accusingly at his mentor. There was no doubt now. Jiraiya was playing himself out to be some sort of a matchmaker in his own head, and he and Konan were the target of the matchmaking. He wasn't going to fall for the old Sage's wiles. Not while he was clear-headed. Still.. he couldn't even bare to look at her. It wasn't right.

"We'll do our best, Jiraiya-sensei." Konan said, interrupting the blonde's thought process. Jiraiya nodded and stalked off with their resident Uchiha.

Minato turned what he hoped was an expressionless look at his fellow student. He didn't really need to look, he could sense where she was, where she was looking, and what she was doing. He did it to make himself seem aloof and unapproachable. He wasn't ready for this. Not yet. He hoped the woman felt the same. "Konan-san."

"Yes, Minato?"

Minato nearly grimaced at the lack of an honorific. _Apparently not._ "We'll be scavenging for food, but we'll also be scouting and mapping out the area."

Konan nodded.

"You'll be covering the northern portion of this forest, I'll sweep through the South. We should be covering at least a half kilometer radius." The blonde seemed to magically snap two squares of paper out of nowhere. "These are ward-seals. Taking this point as the origin and North as the positive vertical axis, I also want you to set these both two kilometers out. One forty-five degrees clockwise and one forty-five degrees counter clockwise. Can you do it?"

"Yes, but-"

"That's good." Minato interrupted. Konan bit her tongue. "Once you're done, meet back at camp."

He turned to leave.

"Wait."

"Yes, Konan-san?"

"Scouts are usually executed in squads. If something were to befall one, the other would be there to assist or escape to make a report. We should be travelling together."

Minato managed a smile. "That won't be a problem. I used to be the Hokage. I can handle myself. If you meet with any trouble and need my help, I can appear at your side in an instant from anywhere in the world. Just pulse your Chakra three times into the seal and I'll be there to assist you."

Konan tried to think of a rebuttal, but had none. Before she could put together a coherent response, the Hidden Leaf's former leader had already vanished.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Konan surveyed the area and carried on further North, a collection of edible ingredients stored in a sack. North was the direction of the Hidden Rain. The Rain did not have any influence this far down South of the border.. there was nothing to scout for here. The only reason she was even moving was to place these inconvenient paper seals at the spot that Minato had specified. Why was he avoiding her?

The man didn't strike her as reticent. In fact, when he first appeared before her, he'd conversed with her fairly liberally. He also seemed to be on good terms with everyone. Konan reached the first coordinate for Minato's seal and slapped the paper angrily onto a tree.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Minato winced. _The poor tree…_

He'd already finished scouting his area. There were no Shinobi around. It was to be expected. There were no threats from this side of the border. The Hidden Rain kept to themselves, so the Hidden Waterfall, in order to save on labor resources, allocated the majority of their scouts elsewhere. The odds of them meeting a borderguard was beyond slim.

With one last look at the paper seal plastered on the bare earth, he flashed back to camp, and dodged a kunai. The projectile whistled past his ear and thudded into a carpet of grass.

"Obito. It's me."

Obito relaxed visibly and sat back down. Up in the sky, the Sun was just starting to rise above the Horizon.

Minato sat next to him and laid out four rabbits, an assortment of herbs and one mushroom.

Obito narrowed his eye at the mushroom. "Why the mushroom?"

"Non-poisonous mushrooms provide a good source of nutrition."

"Yes, but why only one?"

Minato shrugged. "It's better than none."

Obito picked up the mushroom and examined it. It was a grey little mushroom. Not an appealing color, but bright colors usually meant a mushroom was poisonous. He sighed and put the mushroom down.

"And the bunnies?"

"You mean rabbits."

"Same thing."

Minato gave a small laugh. "They're the only venison available. This forest is full of them."

With a small concentrated flow of Chakra, the Uchiha produced a few chunks of wood out of thin air, and sharpened them into four knives. He handed one to his mentor and picked up a rabbit. He had a feeling that skinning bunnies for breakfast(1) would become a norm while they were camped here.

Obito licked his lips as he carved the fur off of his bunny's back. "So. Where's Konan? I thought you would come back together."

"She's still finishing her portion of the forest." Minato replied offhandedly as he deftly removed the skin from one of the dead rabbits. For some reason, he was finding difficulty focusing on the task at hand.

"Her _portion_? You didn't scout together? What if she gets away?"

Minato gave his student a wry look and pointed at his chest. "The seal, remember?"

Obito sighed, and the two lapsed into silence.

After finishing his bunny, Obito erected a table of clean wood and laid the creature out.

It was at this moment that Jiraiya came back, fresh from his shower under the waterfall. "YO! Minato! You're back early! Where's Konan?"

"Minato-sensei says that she's doing 'her portion of the scouting'."

"WHAT?!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "Minato.. how could you? I thought I'd taught you better."

"It's more practical."

"Practical? Really?" Jiraiya put a palm to his face. His student just _had_ to be difficult. "If we were going to do practical you would be scouting alone since you'd finish all of it in less than half the time it takes the rest of us to do it."

Minato frowned. "Then why'd you have us go together?"

"Why did you think I had you go scouting with Obito the first few nights he was here? It's to help strengthen your bonds you idiot."

Minato opened his mouth to make a counter, but could come up with none. He'd known why Jiraiya'd done it all along, but he didn't want to face it right now. What level of bond was the man referring to anyway? Silently, he turned back to his rabbit. To his left, Obito had already begun on the second one.

Jiraiya sighed and moved to help with the last rabbit. If it turned out that the rare herbs he'd used last night were wasted, then so be it. He'd try something else. There was no point in holding regrets over the past. "So.." He picked up one of the two remaining knives with his left hand and a bunny with his right. "Why the mushroom?"

Minato slapped his skinned bunny onto Obito's wood-table. "Why not?"

Obito shook his head and chuckled.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Konan slapped the second seal down and dropped her sac of edibles onto the dirt. With his Flying Thunder God, he would have been able to complete her area several times over. Clearly Jiraiya had intended for them to get to know each other, and she was grateful to her mentor for giving her this chance. She bit her tongue angrily. Namikaze Minato was intentionally pushing her away.

She sat, feeling a little light-headed from a combination of hunger and the physical excursions of the morning. She hadn't even had breakfast yet. With a breath, Konan laid back against a tree, a feeling of misery coming over her. She couldn't stop seeing it. She couldn't stop seeing his face. She couldn't stop seeing his eyes. She couldn't stop hearing his voice. And he was avoiding her. Why?

She didn't even know why she was here. Obito was right. She had no influence over Nagato. She had no power either. The Hidden Rain consisted entirely of fanatics who worshipped him, and as far as combat abilities go, Jiraiya could probably beat her in a battle of attrition, and Obito.. she didn't know where Obito stood, but to be able to survive Nagato's assault as long as he had those few weeks back, even without his ability to phase through space-time, he was still a very capable Shinobi. As for Minato: his combat prowess was eons ahead of all of theirs. Her presence was entirely unnecessary.

She was useless(2). She couldn't even perform this simple task of scouting and collecting food. Now she was stuck here in the middle of nowhere, unable to return home. She didn't even have a home anymore. Jiraiya probably only welcomed her out of some sense of obligation. Obito didn't trust her. That was a laugh. Obito - _Uchiha_ Obito - the world's most manipulative human being alive - thinks that she wasn't trustworthy.

And Namikaze Minato.. he was pushing her away. The feeling of being lost that she felt when she first left the village amplified, and was supplemented by an even worse feeling of loneliness - one that she realized she'd been feeling since Yahiko's death thirteen years prior. The day the Akatsuki's real leader and all of the original members had died was the day Nagato and the rest of the group had fallen apart.

 _Why am I even here?_

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"What's taking her so long? Minato, what's she doing?"

Minato stuck a stick through one of the rabbits and hung it against the fire. He shrugged. "She's resting against a tree and.. _she's crying.."_ He handed the rabbit shishkabob to Obito who took it wordlessly. "I think I'd better go."

Jiraiya shook his head and sighed. "Look at what you've done."

"I think I may have gone too far.."

"You think?!" Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "You two better come back on better terms. I _know_ I taught you better than this."

Minato nodded and vanished.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

She stared miserably up at the morning sky as she cried. So much had happened in the last few days, and it was all finally starting to catch up to her. As immersed in her grief as she was, her sharp shinobi senses still managed to help her react to the sudden appearance of a potential threat. She knocked away the arm that materialized onto her shoulder, undoubtedly bruising it, but the fist that she sent toward the stomach was deflected with a fluid motion. And then she realized who it was that stood before her.

With a quick wipe on her eyes, Konan stood, causing the blonde to back away. "What do you want?"

"I'd like to apologize for the way I've been treating you."

"Why now?" She paused, realizing that he'd probably been able to sense her crying. "Is it because I'm crying?"

"I was afraid.. afraid of.." He stopped, changing tacts. "I didn't mean to make you do this alone."

"You think I'm crying because of what you did?" She laughed. "Don't be conceited."

"Then why are you crying?"

She examined him. He drew her even when his face was fraught with concern. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

Minato weighed his responses carefully and finally decided to not skirt the issue. "You and I both know why Jiraiya is throwing us together. I'm not ready for.. whatever it is the two of you are trying to achieve with me."

Konan narrowed her eyes. If he was going to be direct, then so was she. "Do you find me unattractive?"

"No, but-"

"Then why not? What's wrong with.. this?"

Minato took a step back as the woman approached him. He could feel her desire rolling against him in waves. His ability to control the stirrings within himself began to break down. "My wife-"

"-is dead." Konan interrupted softly as she closed whatever distance there was between them.

"I love her." He managed to say as he held her at arm's length. "I'm not ready for romance. I've barely just met you."

Konan smiled slightly at that. "Jiraiya-sensei's had countless women and is in a relationship with none. Who says sex requires romance?"

Minato's mouth went dry as she pushed his arms away, overriding his resistance. A creeping warmth began to spread through him. It'd been too long. He couldn't believe this was happening. The woman put her arms around his waist in a tight, desperate embrace. She needed this. She needed this consolation - to know that she was needed, and he was going to give it to her. Her voice dropped to a husky pitch. "Namikaze Minato. You're a beautiful man."

His heart raced against his will as blood rushed into his face. "Konan-"

His speech was abruptly stemmed by the lips which pressed against his.

She was kissing him. He tried to say something, but her tongue and the movement of her lips matched his own, transforming whatever words he might have said into guttural noise. Encouraged by the sound coming out of the blonde's throat, Konan reached a hand down his front.

Minato shivered. For some reason, he was unable to retain the sharp control he usually had over his mind and his body. He wasn't using reason. He couldn't reason. He couldn't think, and before he knew what he was doing, he'd pinned the blunette to the forest floor. Minato growled, hungrily trailing his lips down the woman's neck and causing her to laugh.

* * *

-Footnotes-

* * *

(1) I did promise to kill bunnies.

(2) I can't see this word without thinking of Matsuda. Seriously. Matsuda is an idiot. Who the hell did he think he was shooting at?!


	52. (7) Kindness

Disclaimer: I am evil incarnate. Evil incarnate doesn't own Naruto.

* * *

Being an Edo Tensei, she needed neither sleep, food or rest. She worked non-stop on her seal design, only taking breaks to visit or take visits from Kabuto. They were the only companions inside this underground series of caves, and their interactions were inevitable. The Sage was always away, doing whatever he needed to do to stop the Ten-tails.

Kabuto on the other hand was always there, researching ways to make himself stronger. At first he had been more than receptive, positively friendly even. His receptiveness was no doubt a result of his long years of isolation. Over time, however, the man seemed to grown more withdrawn. The more she worried about him and the more she comforted him, the more curt he became.

Even though he spoke less, Kabuto began to visit more, often asking her to relate stories about her own life and absorbing every detail with rapt attention.

The man must've been lonely. She couldn't blame him. His entire village had been slaughtered right under his eyes. He'd only barely escaped with his life. While she hadn't watched her village be destroyed, she had seen Minato die. She was proud of him. Proud of his sacrifice and yet.. it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that the people she loved had all disappeared, wiped off the Earth. Even baby Naruto- just the thought would leave her feeling almost utterly inconsolable whenever she allowed her mind to wander.

Kabuto's feeling of loss was something she could understand, and she vowed to do everything she could for this man who was doing everything he could to deter the end of the world. It was this thought that drove her. She would do her best. For what was left of the world. For Kabuto.

Other than for Kabuto's increased inclination toward silence, Kushina's desire to make the man realize that he wasn't alone seemed to be working. Maybe reticence was just his nature.

She just hoped that he wouldn't be sad when it came time to release her soul back into the pure world.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Deep in one of the brighter rooms of the many caverns underneath the former village of the Hidden Mist, a man sat in a chair, grimacing in pain. He grit his teeth as he combatted the effects of the venom that coursed through his blood. The syringe and needle clattered to the floor and his arm began to shake involuntarily.

The sensation of having every single cell and nerve being infiltrated, tested, torn and rebuilt was beyond painful. The only thought keeping the man sane was his knowledge that at the end of the day, it'd all be worth it. He would become and then surpass Orochimaru. Then..

His thoughts fell upon a certain red-head, and his heart couldn't help but flutter. He didn't think that he'd ever have the chance again to be the target of such affection, and Uzumaki Kushina gave it to him in droves.

He'd enjoyed fooling her. Those first few days had him more entertained than any fool's show could ever match. Her naive belief in everything he said and her earnesty was enough to leave him bawling in laughter far into the nights.

As time passed the hilarity of the situation passed for him. Her determination and her cheer, on the other hand, never faltered. Deep down, he knew she was doing it for him. It more than reminded him of Mother, the woman who he had once 'loved' for raising him and giving him an identity. Danzo had changed that. He'd changed all of that. Not only had the old warhawk forced Mother onto a mission that lasted almost twenty years, he hadn't even needed her. She had been completely forgotten. In the end, Mother's conscription served no purpose. And he was the one who'd killed her on one of his own missions. It was an immense chance of fate. Mother hadn't even remembered his name. Had it all been a lie? If she'd really cared, she'd remember him wouldn't she?

She'd remember the orphanage.. wouldn't she?  
It was all an act and he knew it. Genuine affection didn't exist except as an illusion.

But Uzumaki Kushina.. she gained absolutely nothing from being his friend. Her family and everything she valued were gone. Yet she somehow always seemed to find it in her to smile, to treat him kindly. It wasn't hatred of the false Ten-tails that drove her, it was her genuine desire to give him companionship and to save the world.. even if there was nothing left for her to save.  
Was it really for him?

It was at this moment that the fluid circulating in his system suddenly began to spread above his arm. Kabuto grit his teeth. He could bear this pain.

After an extended period, however, the pain didn't cease, and the fluids continued into his shoulder. Kabuto felt a twinge of panic. The venom should've been subsumed several minutes ago. Kabuto gasped as the thought destroyed his endurance. _It should've stopped_. The man fell to the floor, clasping his arm and screamed. It didn't help.

Although screaming didn't make the pain any better, but he couldn't stop. Kabuto's screaming rent down the cavern, echoing loudly off the walls. The pain became more than unbearable. Tears welled up in the snake-man's eyes as he choked out a desperate plea. "Orochimaru-sama. Help. Orochimaru-sama. Please.."

After what felt like an eternity of begging, Kabuto realized that he couldn't stand the pain anymore. He'd rather die. Nothing was worth this pain. Not even the prospect of attaining Sage Mode.

Tripping and crawling, Kabuto clawed his way to the large surgical tools that laid on the table nearby, mumbling ' _make it stop'_ under his breath.

"Kabuto!"

The voice made Kabuto freeze in place, striking a nerve in his pain-addled brain. He dropped the knife that he had clutched waveringly above his heart. The weapon clattered to the floor and Kabuto along with it as he writhed in place. "Kushina." He gasped. "Help."

The redhead closed the distance between them almost instantaneously. In the back of his head, a small voice in Kabuto's head alerted him of the woman's invasion into his private lab. _She shouldn't be here. How'd she even get in?!_

He rolled and slammed himself into the legs of one of the lab tables, his apprehension forgotten as the venom of the latest variant of Orochimaru's DNA ate into his lungs. And then he was suddenly shrouded in a firm hold. Kabuto shook, weak from sheer physical and mental fatigue as he fought a losing internal battle. Distantly, he heard a soothing voice filter into his ears.  
"Kabuto. Don't move. I can help you."

The venom reached his heart and Kabuto screamed louder than he had previously. He spasmed greatly, one of his arms swinging out and puncturing the woman who held him.

Kushina gasped, causing Kabuto to stop as he momentarily forgot that she was merely an impure resurrection. _I've killed her!_

The split second pause was long enough for Kushina to place her hand over the exact point on Kabuto's forehead where the Gate of Healing - second of the Eight Gates - resided. A sealing script appeared on his forehead and Kabuto slumped like a doll.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kushina slowly detached the hand stabbed into her chest, whatever wonder she would've felt at the way that flakes of skin, tissue and some paper-like substances refilled the gap were all but forgotten

She carried the seemingly lifeless man toward one of the tables and set him down. He was still conscious, but his central nerves were disconnected from the rest of his body, rendering him incapable of movement but free from pain.

"I don't know what you did, but I can't release you. Whatever you injected into your arm has spread through your entire body." Kushina searched frantically for clues as to what her friend had done to himself and how she was to go about curing him.

"K-kushina. D-don't. Don't touch my things. Please. Dangerous. Private"

The redhead stopped. He wasn't supposed to be able to speak. "What should I do?"

"Release. Seal."

Kushina furrowed her brows. "But your pain!"

"Inconsequential. Necessary. As long as-" Kabuto faltered. "-as long you're here."

The woman gripped his hand in her own. "I'll stay as long as you need me. Just don't do anything stupid." She put her other palm onto his forehead. "I'm releasing the seal."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kabuto lay gasping for breath. Droplets of perspiration expired from his forehead as his body readjusted from its sheer physical and mental exertions. It was finally over, and he didn't look forward to the next dose.

Kushina promptly left and came back with a cup of some kind of liquid. "Drink this."

Kabuto narrowed his eyes. She didn't search through his medicine cabinet did she? "What is it?"  
"It's just water, but it'll make you feel better."

Kabuto took the cup and drank deeply.

"So you were Orochimaru's student?"  
Kabuto nearly choked, but managed to keep his face serene. "How?"

"It's the same way I knew that you needed help." Kabuto gave Kushina a quizzical look, and Kushina swiftly continued. "I think it's your Edo Tensei, but I could hear you screaming out for help. You were.. you were asking for Orochimaru."

Kabuto stared into the woman's flaking face. That's right. She'd died before Orochimaru had defected. It was OK. "Orochimaru-sama came to my village after the Hidden Leaf was destroyed." Kabuto lied. "He was one of few survivors, and he saw talent in me. He taught me almost everything I know today. Without his teachings, I don't know where I'd be right now."

Kushina stared into her lap in thought. "Who else survived?"

The man paused for a moment. "The Sannin Tsunade survived. She wasn't in the Hidden Leaf at the time - or so I heard. She might even be alive now. Other than that, I don't really know." Kabuto quickly changed the topic. "How did you get in?"

"I-" Kushina looked away for a brief moment. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry.." Kabuto made a conscious effort to control his emotion, wondering if she knew what he was thinking.

"Yes. I've always known how to counter the seals that you used to close off the lab."

"What?!"  
"I should've told you. I know you didn't want me inside, so I stayed away, but you were in trouble and I had to help."

Kabuto slumped back. "If you knew how to do it, why did you never sneak in? Cynicism is natural in the Shinobi world."

"I know but.. the Shinobi world is gone. And I like you. I wouldn't want to break any trust you had in me. I know you have some secrets. I understand, and I know you'll tell me whenever you're ready to do so."

Kabuto swallowed as Kushina got up, more cracks forming on her face. "Let me get you more water."

"Kushina. I-"

"Kabuto. I understand. I'm sorry for breaking into your lab."

And then she was gone, leaving Kabuto to just stare wide-eyed at the place where she'd been standing. He couldn't believe what he was about to say to her. An idiot redhead who believed every lie he told her. The stupid woman who gave him every benefit of the doubt, who believed him, trusted him and kept him company for no other reason than to brighten his day.. the same woman who spoke about her husband in every other conversation they'd had.

Kabuto shot up violently and proceeded to smash his fists on every surface he could get his hands on. "GOD FUCKING DAMNIT KABUTO! HOW DARE YOU?!" -he swiped a clutter of equipment off of one of his operating tables, causing them to clatter onto the floor- "AN EDO TENSEI ZOMBIE?! REALLY?! OF ALL PEOPLE?!" -Kabuto flipped the table over- "WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK OF A FUCK YOU JUST FUCKING STUPID IDIOT! GAAAAAAAHH!"

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

La. Dee. Da. Edit! :D


	53. (7) War

Disclaimer: Mittens-chan is feeling happy, even if he doesn't own Naruto! Also, my longest chapter to date. Please don't hate. Alright mate?

* * *

Tsunade scanned through the scroll before quickly putting it away and then opening it and staring at it again. She couldn't believe what she was reading. The Hidden Mist.. destroyed?! How?!

She examined the scouts standing before her. "Are you sure of these reports?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The reporting scout replied swiftly. "It is the reason all trade and contacts from the village has stopped."

Tsunade glared back down at the report. The report specified crumbled buildings and evidence that the village had apparently been crushed together by a terrifying force. "So you think that the village was.. packed into a ball and released?"

Another scout stepped up. "The distribution of the damage showed a radial pattern with a compact center surrounded by clusters of decreasing density. There is no doubt. It was as if the village had been crumpled into a sphere and then dropped from a height we estimate to be about sixty kilometers."

Tsunade sighed. The report said as much, but she couldn't believe it. The level of destruction described was nothing short of insane. She slammed the report onto her desk. "Identifying whatever's done this is now top priority. I'm calling a war council. Notify all relevant representatives. Then get some rest. You've done well."

The scouts dispatched wordlessly.

The Hokage knead her brows. "Shizune. Get me some sake."

"What?! Right before the council?!"

"Shizune." Tsunade intoned sharply before issuing another sigh."Fine. I'll drink after the council."

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. It is the right decision" The Hokage's dark-haired apprentice and secretary gave a tiny smile of victory. "Are we really going to war?"

Tsunade swirled her empty sake bottle in defeat. "We might be. If it is what I think it is, then it's quite likely that our neighbors to the West will find that the Leaf takes its threats seriously."

-Intermission-

Sasuke stood in the family kitchen with his one foot on the counter, stretching out his right leg as he waited for the meat water to boil. Next to the pot of water was a basket of boil-cleaned chicken, several chopped vegetables, and an assortment of condiments. Having guests over at his house was a relatively new experience, but he couldn't say he didn't enjoy it. He was a bit disappointed when Sakura expressed surprise at his ability to cook. Of _course_ he could cook. He'd lived alone for over five years. How could he possibly _survive_ without knowing how to prepare his own meals. Honestly, it was moments like those that he really appreciated having a friend who understood him.

Naruto had also grown up alone, albeit for much longer than he had. In fact, it was Naruto who took the words right out of his mouth. Sasuke stared dreamily into the pot of boiling water as he recalled the scene from the night before.

xx

" _Sakura-chan.. are you_ serious?! _Of_ course _he can cook! What'd ya think he's been eating all this time?!"_

" _Uhm." Sakura smiled sheepishly. "Take-out?"_

xx

The smile diffused from his face as he felt someone traipse across the warding seals that Naruto's dad had taught him to write and setup. They were rudimentary, and his expertise on sealing wasn't very advanced yet, but his natural genius, his ability to learn and his Sharingan more than made up for his lack of intuition. Naruto, on the other hand, had it easy. It came down to simple genetics. Ironic really.. an Uchiha.. lamenting about genetics.

Kicking his leg up, Sasuke bound to the compound entrance and slid open the door. "Kurenai-sensei. Asuma-sensei." He gave a light bow. "It's a pleasure."

Asuma slipped his cigarette to the other side of his mouth and grinned. "We hadn't even rung the bells. How'd you know we were out here?"

Sasuke gave a knowing smile. "Can't tell you."

The Jounin paused for a few seconds at the denial and shrugged. "May we come in?"  
"Oh yes, of course. Let me just get the- crap!" _The water!_ Sasuke put one foot back toward the kitchen and stopped. "Please come in and make yourselves comfortable. I have to get something."

With that the boy shot back inside the compound. Kurenai chuckled. "I still can't believe the changes that boy has undergone. He seems so much happier."

Asuma plucked the stick of cigarette out of his mouth and with a quick burst of Chakra, he incinerated it, and the two proceeded to walk inside. "He does. Can't say much about his seals though. Saw them from a hundred feet away."

Kurenai shook her head. "You mean I saw them. You wouldn't have noticed if he'd set it right in front of you."

"Ah.. well. You're right, but right in front of me is a bit exaggerated.. I am still a Jounin after all" Asuma chuckled. "Maybe when it's right under my feet.."

.

Sasuke looked sadly at the pot. Most of the water had already been boiled away. "Ah just damn everything!"  
He picked up the pot and filled it to the brim with water from the sink. Then he lifted it with a grunt of effort, and called out as he left the kitchen. "I'll be right with you in a few moments."

Kurenai's voice floated out of the guest room. "Don't worry! Take your time!"

Sasuke hefted his burden into the garden and set it down carefully. Checking that he hadn't spilled any water, he jumped back several meters and put his hands in the tiger seal. Wordlessly, he blew a massive ball of fire at the pot (' _Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu'_ ) and sustained the blazing inferno for about twenty seconds before relenting. The fire receded, and the water was boiling. _Perfect_.

Just as he was about to make his way to the pot, he noticed a flash of orange rocket over the walls of the Uchiha compound. _Oh my god not now…_

He stepped to the side, and the thing flashed past him.

Sasuke turned to face the ball of orange. "Naruto how many times have I-"

He was suddenly hit from behind and crushed to the ground. "Gotcha! Bet you didn't think I'd send a clone first!"

Sasuke groaned, and Naruto released his choke hold. "Naruto I don't have time for this. How'd you even get past my wards?!"

"Pfft. Can't tell you." Naruto said cheerily. He'd known exactly what sealing structure Sasuke had used since his dad had taught them both the same kind. He'd designed a seal to counter it and had it tagged firmly on the underside of his headband. Of course, he wasn't about to let Sasuke know, or else the bastard would update his seals. Just thinking about coming up with another counter-seal was a pain in the ass. Naruto gave a cheeky grin. "Let's go training!"

"I'm having guests, Naruto." Sasuke dusted himself off. "Great timing too. I could use the extra hand."

"Ehhhhhh? But training…" Naruto pouted. "And why do you always have people at your house? I never get any visitors."

"Sakura and I don't count as visitors?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it." Naruto huffed. "So what do you need help on?"

"Groceries."

Naruto was suddenly handed a wad of cash and a list which rolled down past his feet. "What?! Why do you need so much food?!"

"Seriously? We're having an opening party tonight. I told you I'd be busy all day."

"I didn't think you'd be making it yourself."

"Of course not.. there's no way I can make food for two hundred people by myself. Now come on, I need your help in the kitchen."

Naruto shrugged and produced twenty clones. Ten of the clones split the money amongst themselves along with several portions of the shopping list and ran off. The rest rolled up their sleeves. The real Naruto helped Sasuke pick up the pot. As they carried the burden inside, Naruto had a sudden thought. "Wait. Since you weren't planning on doing this yourself, who were you planning on getting to help you prepare the food?" Sasuke said nothing, causing Naruto to examine his friend. "You knew I would come didn't you?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I'll pay you back."

Naruto sighed as they moved down the hall. They received jovial greetings from the Jounin visitors when they passed the entrance to the guest area. "Yo Naruto. Didn't think you'd be here."

"Hey Asuma-sensei. Kurenai-sensei." Naruto replied energetically.

Kurenai smiled and stood. "I'd hate to see you kids do all this work alone. Why don't you let us help?"

A Naruto clone popped into view from behind the pot-carrying duo. "Nah we're fine."

"Yup." Said another who sifted his way past Sasuke.

A third and fourth poked their heads from the side of the doorway. "We could make you some tea while you wait, sensei."

Asuma chuckled. "Looks like they won't be needing the extra hand."

"Thanks for the offer, but we'll be fine." Sasuke offered diplomatically before continuing down toward the kitchen.

Kurenai sighed. "They're such good kids. I can't imagine how the villagers can be so cruel as to treat them like common criminals and outcasts."

"Fear turns even the kindest of men into monsters." Asuma shook his head and knelt. "So, Kurenai. How've you been treating your shogi-skills these days?"

Kurenai knelt across from him, a table of pieces between them. "They're a bit rusted. Not every Jounin gets to have a shogi-nerd in their Genin-team."

"Jealous?"  
"Of being constantly beaten by a child? Not really."

Asuma finished setting up his pieces. "He's a master of shogi, _and_ he's a Nara. Can't really blame me for losing."

Kurenai made the first move. "You're thirty. The kid is only twelve. There's no way you don't feel a little stupid when he crushes you in a game that no twelve year old has a right to be so good at,"

Asuma smiled at the veiled insult. "Psychological warfare is it?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Sarutobi-san."

Asuma chuckled as he started up using one of Shikamaru's favorite opening positions. Kurenai was right. He _should_ feel bad about losing to a twelve year old, and normally he would too. But Shikamaru wasn't just any twelve year old. The kid was an absolute genius. There really isn't much room for feeling bad when the person you lose to happened to be an absolute genius.

Before they could make another move, a loud clang boomed from the kitchen.

' _What are you doing?!'_

" _It's not like you're using it or anything!'_

' _WAIT NARUTO! GIVE ME BACK MY KNIFE!'_

' _Make me!'_

Kurenai stood abruptly. "On second thought, we can hold this game off for now. Let's make sure they don't hurt themselves."

Asuma sighed. He'd been looking forward to showing off his shogi skills too, but..

' _AGH! YOU ALMOST STABBED ME! NARUTO STOP!_ '

Asuma shot up. "Yup. Let's go."

-Intermission-

Tsunade reached into her desk and pulled out a kunai, She stabbed the kunai onto her desk and waited. After a little over two minutes of drumming her fingers against her desk and rereading one of her latest reports, she was finally greeted by the expected flash of disheveled blonde hair. She looked up. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"  
"No. I. I was.." Minato bowed apologetically. "It's nothing. My apologies. What is it you require of me, Godaime-sama?"

The Kage smiled wryly. The man was being more formal than usual. "A report would be nice."

Minato nodded as he maintained tight control on his state of mind. "We've kept updated with Jiraiya-sensei's spy network. Other than that, there's really nothing left for us to do. Their leader will not negotiate. As I've reported earlier, We've already completely scouted and mapped an area of two hundred kilometers radius around their main city."

Tsunade fiddled with a scroll of paper. "What does Jiraiya plan to do?"

"He wants to keep waiting. He thinks that Nagato will eventually falter upon his determination."

"What do you think?"

"I believe we've wasted enough time wandering around their borders. I believe we should infiltrate the city to find and talk to his student."

Tsunade smirked. "You should've done that a long time ago."

"But the citizens' lives would be put at stake."

"As is all of ours. We're declaring war on the Hidden Rain."

"Why?"

Tsunade tossed the former Kage the scroll. "Read this."

Minato rolled the scroll open and proceeded to scan through the contents quickly. His eyes widened midway, but he didn't stop until he reached the end. He didn't need Tsunade to tell him. He'd already reached the same conclusion.

"If this war is happening, I suggest we bring in the other nations."

"What do you mean?"

Minato paused. Konan was going to be extremely unhappy, but this was more important. This was a chance for peace. "A man who can single-handedly obliterate entire Hidden Villages is a threat to everyone."

He paused to allow Tsunade to absorb his words. Tsunade gave a dismissive wave. "Get to the point."

"An alliance against a common enemy. A war to end all wars. The other nations most likely have also noticed that the Hidden Mist had been destroyed. Let us call together a Shinobi alliance."

"Ah. I see." The Hokage said thoughtfully. "A chance to bring together the Five Nations and end our centuries of strife.. I can't say that I have many problems with the proposition."

Minato nodded. "We need to make them aware that our enemy isn't the Hidden Rain but the man who wields the Rinnegan. We want as few casualties as possible - on either side."

"That's not going to be easy." Tsunade sighed. "In any case, consider your mission over. Bring everyone back."

-Intermission-

"The radial pattern of fallout, the lack of any evidence of explosives or heat signatures. This wasn't a Bijuu. It was a jutsu - a gravitational jutsu."

"How are you sure?"

Tsunade sighed for what seemed to be the millionth time. "The area has been investigated and mapped thoroughly. There is little doubt. The most likely culprit is the current leader of the Hidden Village of Rain."

The Daimyo frowned. "How do you know?"

Tsunade grit her teeth and swallowed her retort. "We have a comprehensive list of the man's abilities and his goals. It's in the report. They match perfectly with the evidence."

"You don't know that for certain. War is a heavy thing." Said the elderly Homura. "Who made this report?"

The Hokage lost her patience and banged a fist onto the meeting table, causing the rest of the assembled group to jump. "This man has shown that he can and is willing to destroy entire villages. There's nothing stopping him from demolishing ours. Are you saying we should sit here and wait to be slaughtered?"

The Daimyo shook his head. "Have you tried diplomacy?"

"Yes." Jiraiya responded from the Hokage's side. "The man refuses to negotiate. He's burned every letter we sent him as 'propaganda'. He's also tried to kill us every time we attempted to talk to him in person. Tsunade is right. War just might be the best solution."  
"Is that so?" The Daimyo stroked his fat chin. "I believe you are right. I will contact the other daimyo. This alliance you'd have us create will do a lot of good for our society."

Tsunade smiled briefly before sweeping her gaze across the room. "Any objections or concerns?"

After a moment's silence, the daimyo spoke. "It seems we all agree. Let's work out the details of the arrangements then. We will need to send contacts to the lands of Lightning, Earth, Water and Wind. Now how shall we draft this proposal?"

-Intermission-

It rarely ever rained in up in the mountainous areas of Kumo and yet.. today it was pouring. A large man in goggles stepped out and looked across the wide chasm that spanned between Kumo and one of its neighboring mountain peaks. He watched as a sizable landslide of mud eroded down toward a village below.

The man launched into action, crossing the gap in a mighty leap before his body was consumed by immense tentacles large enough to cover entire city blocs.

'Yo partner! We've got a lot of mud comin' down. Let's show mother nature that we're no clowns!'

The man was met with silence for a few moments as he landed above the village. Shortly after, the deep and dry rumbling voice of the powerful Eight-tails rung in reply. " **No problem. Ready, Bee?** "

The man - Bee - grinned. 'Brother, I can take anything. We'll show 'em who's king! Let's do this thing!'

The Eight-tails shuddered as he dug his mountainous tentacles into the Earth. He liked his partner. Truly. Killer Bee was the best friend he's had in a long time, but the man could be a little overbearing sometimes with his levity. He could take the rhymes, but sometimes..

"Partner yo! I need your help hereabouts. Let's not go an be spacin' out!"

The Bijuu sighed. " **Right. Remind me to give you a talk about your rhymes again after this.** " With that, the two gathered enough Chakra to demolish a mountain-side, forming a massive ball of condensed Chakra: the Bijuudama. Below, the villagers watched in both fear and amazement at the spectacle as the mud which would have submerged their homes was demolished, along with the entire mountaintop. The grounds shook as the titanic octopus disappeared.

Bee landed among the crowd.

"Kami-sama yo. Lovin' the rain ya know. But too much of this wet, is gonna make some folks upset." The man grinned and took out a small notepad, hovering over it to keep the rain from soaking its pages. "Heheh. Wet."

Before he could finish writing however, he felt something tug on him. Bee was suddenly sent flying into the air. He turned just in time to see a man wearing a black cloak with red clouds. The intruder's most notable features, however, were his eyes.

" **Bee! Transform now!** "

Bee obliged, the sudden weight countering the gravitational pull, causing him to fall back to the ground. He landed on his two feet, tentacles receding instantly, and pulled out the twin blades strapped on his back. "You've got nerve to challenge me. I'm the great Killer Bee!"

The man landed lightly on his two feet. The village had already scattered, either seeking shelter or to report the erosion and the intrusion. "Hachibi. I give you one chance. I will spare your village a gruesome end if you-

Before he could finish his sentence, the Jinchuuriki vanished in a burst of speed. Nagato's Rinnegan caught every detail, but more notably, he saw the gigantic burst of Chakra put into the movement. Without time to do anything else, he instantly activated a mental blast of his signature technique. ' _Shinra-Tensei!'_

To Nagato's surprise, his technique had not only failed to blow his opponent away, it hadn't even completely stopped him. It did however stop a blade just inches from piercing his throat. Bee grit his teeth with effort but could push no further.

Nagato stood his ground as he felt the force of his technique being pushed back against him. It was impossible. The man was actually resisting his technique with brute force. There was more Chakra on the Eight-tails' Jinchuuriki than an entire village combined yet the man wasn't a mindless mass of red. It couldn't be. The Eight-tails and its Jinchuuriki were working in tandem?!  
Nagato lost his grip and was vaulted into the sky and off the mountaintops by the force of his own technique.

Bee watched the man fall from the unsurvivable heights of Kumo's mountains. "Well that's the end of that. He's definitely gonna splat."

The Eight Tails' voice became incredulous. " **Really B? Those were the Rinnegan. That was the leader of the Hidden Village of Rain. The one that the Leaf warned us about and the one we're coming together to fight. He won't be that easy to beat.** "

"Huh really?"

" **You weren't paying attention during the meeting weren't you?** "

Before Bee could reply, the entire mountain began to shake. Seconds later, the entire range of mountains began to crumble and float up. On the other side of the mountain, Bee could see his Hidden Village disseminate right before his very eyes. The Jinchuuriki's voice became somber. "Huh? How? What's happening now?"

" **The man's not dead yet. It's the Chibaku Tensei**."

"Chibaku-ten-what?"

" **Chibaku Tensei. It's father's technique.** "

"You have a father?!"

The Eight Tails silently cursed its loose tongue. " **It doesn't matter. You need to stop him from channeling the technique. The village can be rebuilt, but once people get packed up there** -" Bee looked up to see a sizable ball of earth forming. " **They will die. Every single one of them.** "

Without another word, Bee let the Eight-tails' full form take shape, but it was too late. The technique was already pulling them up.

Gyuki preempted his container's question. " **Since we can't move, w** **e'll have to fire a Bijuudama at him. We can sense where he is down below. He'll be forced to stop.** "

Bee considered briefly and his spirits dropped. It was going to kill a lot of people, but if his partner is right, then it was the only way. The Jinchuuriki mumbled an apology under his breath as he prepared the deadliest projectile known to Shinobi. "I'm sorry."

To their great surprise and pleasure, the pull of gravity suddenly stopped, and the spherical ball that hung high in the sky began to crumble.

They didn't need an explanation. They could sense her. Kumo's other Jinchuuriki had saved the day - along with two other. Bee grinned with ecstatic relief. "Let's go, let's go. We need to help the sexy Yugito."

" **Bee..** " The Eight-tails sighed resignedly as he shrunk back into the confines of his seal. " **You'd better hurry. Matatabi - even the Raikage - are no match for this man who wields the Sage's powers.** "

"Yee!" Bee ran to the edge of the mountain side, took one look, and jumped. "I hope he's prepared cuz he's gonna be facin' the full wrath of the mighty Killer B and his partner the great Lord Hachibi."


	54. (7) Wrath

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. La dee da. So I decided to write anyway, despite other more pressing obligations. Happy Holidays! :D

* * *

Racing around behind one of the stalactites jutting from the roof of the cavern, Omui knelt silently, if it could be called kneeling. He was upside down after all, hanging solely by the Chakra on his feet. Distantly, from somewhere far deeper inside this deep cavern underneath Kumo's many mountains, a roar reverberated off the walls, causing the very core of Omui's being to tremble.

What if they went too deep? What if they triggered some kind of volcanic triggerspot? If she wasn't careful,they could hit a vein of magma. There could be years - millions of years - of pressurized air pockets. What if they broke the cover of one of these pockets? Kumo was going to be consumed in magma. Historians will note the fall of Kumo as a natural tragedy, a folly of location. They were going to die.

If Yugito didn't tread with care, she could destroy the village. He had to warn her. He had to stop the destruction of the village, even if it meant breaking off this training protocol.

Another roar thundered into the cavern. It was closer. Much closer this time. He only had one chance.

Omui sheathed his sword and started to step out as he raised his hands in the global signal of surrender. A hand clenched his shoulders tightly.

"Omui. What are you doing?"

"We need to stop this training exercise. Yugito's going to hit a magma pocket and cause a volcanic reaction that will destroy our entire village and everyone along with it. We need to surrender now. We're too deep underground."

The man began to pull frantically from his partner's iron grasp, but failed. His next complaint was silenced by another roar. The heavy steps of the massive two-tails echoing louder and louder in their ears. Karui took the chance to grab her partner and pull him deeper into the cave. "This is no time for you to be an idiot! I don't know about you, but I'm not about to lose and be called a coward who couldn't even complete a stupid _training_ exercise!"

"But the volcanoes!"

"There are no stupid volcanoes down here. We don't have volcanoes in Kumo remember?!"

Suddenly, the noise in the cavern vanished. The two-tail's oppressive presence vanished, and all sounds ceased with the exception of the labored breaths of the two Kumo Shinobi who quickly stifled the noise they were making.

Omoi pointed up into a tiny crevice on the ceiling, and Karui nodded. The two crammed themselves together into the closed space. Yugito had erased her presence, but she was still somewhere in the deep underground.

A cold sweat of fear and anticipation filled the man and the woman hiding in their tiny, closed space, swathed in utter darkness. They couldn't risk a light. Yugito had it easy. The flames of her transformation bathed everything around her in the light of the Bijuu's brilliant blue flames. Even though she wasn't using her Chakra-sensing abilities, the Jinchuuriki's senses were still known to be preternaturally sharp.

Omoi's heart chilled. What if they never got out? What if Yugito had left them to navigate the caves alone. Sure they could dig themselves out, but what if they caused a fission that would sink their entire village? "What if-"

Karui slapped a hand over Omoi's mouth, stemming his whisper. However, the clap of her palm into his face rung loudly out of their hole and through the entire cavern complex. Both Shinobi froze in a moment of understanding before looking out of the orifice of their hiding place.

Positioned right over the hole through which they'd crawled in was a single glowing eye surrounded with flaring blue flames. The flames cast a light into the small hole in the cave sealing.

Karui had time to quickly breath the words "Oh fuck." under her breath before a massive claw jammed into the hole, crushing the surrounding rock and widening the entrance. Omoi channeled a consistent stream of Chakra through his blade as Karui stopped the cat's paw with her bare hands. The woman hissed in pain as she barely held against the careless paw of acidic chakra pressed against her palms. Even with her lauded strength, her power was only a fraction of what the Jinchuuriki possessed.

At the same instant that Karui redirected the flaming paw, Omoi blasted out of the enlarged orifice and made straight for the Two-tail's neck.

Yugito snapped back and with her other paw, batted Omoi to the other side of the cave chamber. Just as the Jinchuuriki's paw finished its arc, Karui leapt out, reaching forward for the bell that hung around a small pouch on Yugito's collar.

"Gotcha!" Mere moments from losing the pouch, the Bijuu vaulted in a burst of speed. With the ceiling as a platform, Yugito sent herself flying down, tensed her legs against the cavern floor, and sprung back up, swallowing the surprised Karui - still suspended in the air from her previous maneuver - into her mouth.

It was at this moment that Omoi, who she'd been keeping tabs on since she'd thrown him out of her visual periphery, made the last attempt to reach the bell. With a swipe of her paw, Yugito pinned the man onto the roof of the ceiling. The cat grinned a hellish grin and swallowed the last of the combatants. Moments later, it spat three humans onto the floor in a tumble of sticky fur. The aura of flaming Chakra then vanished along with the entire form of the Bijuu. In its place stood a woman with short blonde hair and a relatively less impressive stature. She elicited a small lantern and filled it with flames, casting a light in the area.

Omoi extricated himself from the furball in which he was tangled. To his side, his team leader - Samui - did the same.

Karui nursed her palm gingerly, ignoring the sticky fluids that surrounded her.

Yugito reached toward her collar and retrieved the pouch attached to it. "You did well. Omoi. Karui. Your teamwork is impressive. If I had been any other target, it's not unlikely that you'd have succeeded. But you did not, and I will be keeping this for another day."

"Yeah yeah. You're super strong and all. But did you have to swallow us?" Karui griped. "It's not like we enjoy being in your mouth."

Omui nodded in agreement, a string of saliva dripping down his arm. "Although it's not that it wouldn't be nice under other circumstances."

Karui turned angrily towards her partner. "What the hell does that mean?!"

Yugito ignored the exchange and turned to Samui who had already extricated herself from her furball. "The ambush would've worked, and it was a courageous move you made. What you should've done was-"

A deep quake stopped the Jinchuuriki mid-speech, and as one, the four Shinobi of kumo turned their attention upward.

It wasn't the trembling caused from the heavy paw of a Jinchuuriki in Bijuu form. This one was much more pervasive and was consistent throughout the entire cavern.

Omoi was the first to speak. "Oh man. I KNEW we would hit one of the volcano pockets. We're doomed!"

Samui shook her head. "There are no pockets under Kumo, at least not at this level. We'd have to go at least another eighty kilometers down before we hit a vein. We don't even get earthquakes."

Yugito looked the woman over stoically. "The village is under attack."

"It appears so."

Wordlessly, Yugito slinked off, leaving Team Samui still recovering from their recent training session.

The team shared a quick look before moving to follow the Jinchuuriki. If the village was under attack, they'd need to be there to protect it.

-Intermission-

Yugito burst through the caverns with as much speed as she could muster, and stopped as she neared the surface. The rumbling of the Earth shook her to her very core. She'd allowed herself to operate with only her five senses during the exercise with Team Samui to hone them, but now she had no such restrictions.

The Jinchuuriki closed her eyes and extended her senses outward, stumbling almost immediately upon the source of the seismic activities. She felt a measure of surprise as her senses also picked up the signatures of a number of villagers - Killer Bee included - suspended in the air. They were all being drawn toward the same direction, disappearing out of the range of her senses.

And the man who was responsible was standing above her. She was pretty sure she knew who he was. The Hidden Leaf had not been remiss in sharing information on the leader of the Hidden Rain. He was using the same technique that she surmised was the one that was said to have been used to destroy the Hidden Mist.

Yugito's eyes snapped open. Two squads had already arrived, and had been swiftly crushed. She had to move quick or more people could die. She also had the advantage of surprise. The man was immune to ninjutsu so the attack would have to be physical. She had one chance to deal a crippling blow.

All these thoughts flashed through her mind instantaneously. It was at this moment that Samui appeared behind her.

"What's happening?"

"It's only one man, but he is powerful." The Jinchuuriki replied.

"The Leader of the Hidden Rain?" Samui guessed, alluding to the meeting with the Hidden Leaf's leaders only a week prior. The existence of this man who single-handedly destroyed an entire Hidden Village weighed on the minds of all those involved in the pact.

Yugito nodded and without further exchange, she drew on the power of the Two-tailed Bijuu, causing her entire body to be enveloped in a flame of intense blue. Her eyes glowed an eerie yellow and suddenly, in her place, stood the full form of the two-tailed Bijuu. The massive cat leapt onto the ceiling and proceeded to dig its way up. Wordlessly, Samui hefted her tanto and followed in the Jinchuuriki's wake. Moments later, Samui and Omui arrived only to see a large gaping hole in the ceiling leading straight out into the open air. The cavern trembled as the sounds of a terrifying battle echoed down from above.

-Intermission-

A fall from the heights of Kumo's mountains could kill normal people. But a God with the powers of the Sage of Six Paths was anything but normal. With little effort, Nagato decreased the weight and the influence of gravity on his body to nothing. His descent through the rain slowed and he landed lightly on his feet. It appears the Eight-tails would not be so easily subdued.

 _No matter_. Nagato closed his eyes in concentration and released another ball - the center of gravity for the Chibaku Tensei - into the air. This time, he would make sure that the Eight-tails was caught in the technique.

Off a little over a kilometer away, a group of Kumo-nin approached, the rain registering their every step.

They arrived, and wordlessly began their assault. Nagato turned and with a flick of his wrists, he deflected the first of the wave of projectiles shot at him.

One of the attacking Shinobi sped faster than the rest through the rain and managed to get within enough distance to release a devastating lightning-release technique.

Nagato caught the words 'Daburu Pansa" muttered from under the man's lips. The Chakra Lightning lanced toward his body and disappeared. Ninjutsu - the main weapon of many shinobi - was utterly useless against his Preta path, which absorbed any and all forms of Chakra.

Before the man had time to be properly surprised by the failure of his attack, Nagato channeled a portion of the Chibaku Tensei's power onto the body of one of the more powerful of his assailants, turning him into the center of gravity. The man was assaulted with a barrage of rocks crumbling off the ground, and was instantly crushed to death.

At the same time, a few other Shinobi had managed to approach his vicinity. With a clap of his palms, Nagato gave a small cry of effort and the would-be attackers were launched toward the center of the Chibaku Tensei's core at a velocity that was guaranteed to kill them when they landed.

The rest of the squad weren't faring much better. With no way of resisting the pull of the Chibaku Tensei, Nagato's assailants began floating up in the air.

Some of the more quick-thinking made futile attempts at anchoring themselves into the earth. It did not help them. The earth simply rose with them. Some sent projectiles which flew short distances before being pulled upward. Some even tried more Ninjutsu.

Ignoring the many cries of panic around him, Nagato turned his sense upwards. His earlier opponent was also caught in the technique. That was good. The Eight-tails' Jinchuuriki was the biggest obstacle to this assault.

Nagato sensed the man take on the full form of the Bijuu and begin to prepare a Bijuudama. While powerful, the projectile was easily susceptible to early detonation via premature impact on other physical objects, at least this was the impression that his experience in capturing the three-tailed, four-tailed, five-tailed, six-tailed Bijuu had left him. He wasn't worried. As long as his technique held, the entire landscape and surrounding mountains were at his beck and call to be used in whatever way he wished. He wondered briefly how a Bijuu would fare against its own projectile. The Hidden Leaf had become much more of a problem than he'd anticipated. The moment his spies had gotten wind of this war alliance was the moment that he knew he'd have to strike.

Preempt the enemy and kill them before they could kill you.  
Nagato spread his arms toward the sky, willing the very Earth to be drawn toward the center of gravity that he'd created. The ground trembled as it bent to his will. It was the trembling caused by his technique that masked his awareness of the trembling beneath his feet. A massive paw of blue flames shot out of the earth and enveloped the Rinnegan-user in its grip.

Yugito stomped into the open rain and blew a searing ball of Chakra-filled flames into her paws. The heat caused the surrounding raindrops to evaporate in the vicinity. Several kilometers above, the massive ball of condensed earth began falling apart.

A cold chill shot through Yugito's heart as the flames continued enveloping her paws and the man within it. He was still alive, and he was fighting her grip. The pressure on her paws mounted, and Yugito quickly slammed the man into the mud. Before she could do it again, her paw was shot back by an invisible force. The tiny man below gave a roar of effort and brought his palm whistling downward. Immediately, Yugito felt an insane mountain of pressure being pressed against her.

Nagato resisted the urge to ground his teeth in annoyance. He wasn't going to be able to perform the technique again.. at least not for several days. It was no matter. They were still far from capable of matching the power of God.

It was at this same moment that Samui leapt out of the hole that the two-tails' Jinchuuriki had dug from underground. She was immediately caught in the gravitational technique and was driven into the mud.

The woman screamed in pain as she felt her bones begin to crack and break under the pressure. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! WE HOLD NO ENMITY WITH YOU!"

Nagato relented for a brief moment to gather his next pulse. Even with the incredible healing factor endowed upon her by her Jinchuuriki status, Yugito barely had time to heal before she felt several black rods stab into her paws. She immediately lost control of her Chakra. Nearby, Samui suffered from egregious internal injuries. At that moment, the Jinchuuriki began to feel a creeping fear. Where was the Raikage?! Where are the rest of the Kumo Shinobi? They should've gotten here by now. Above, she sensed Killer B flying down the mountainside. At least he was still alive.

Nagato sneered with disgust. He'd been tracking the eight-tails' movements from the start and knew what was coming. "The Shinobi world is a world of deceit. Your words are no different. Even now you conspire a war against us. From all your Shinobi wars to the present, you've made us suffer over and over and over and over. You've learned _NOTHING!"_

The man turned and gave a roar. " _Shinra Tensei!_ "

Without any traction or ground to hold onto, Killer B was sent flying into a mountain side. Nagato grit his teeth and ground the Jinchuuriki, who was in Bijuu-form, up against the rocks. He released the Bijuu, letting it slide for a few seconds before raising his hands again. The creature plummeted into the floor, and the earth quaked for miles around. Even in Bijuu form, Killer B was forced to cough up a string of blood from several internal injuries which were, fortunately for him, healed almost instantaneously. After the liberal use of his Deva Path, Nagato's access to it was temporarily disabled.

The Eight-tails spoke. " **Bee. You have at most 10 seconds. GO!** "

Despite his pain, Bee put his hands on the hilt of his weapons and dashed forward. Samui was out of the fight. Bee hoped that her injuries were treatable. Yugito would need a few minutes to recover. Both had done their part and had managed to stop the village's destruction from whatever technique that the singular invader had been using.

The Jinchuuriki's sword came out in a flash, arcing directly toward his enemy's neck with all the power and speed that could be produced with the Chakra that the eight-tails could give him.

To his surprise, the weapon hit its target with a loud clang, but did not manage to cut through.

The Rinnegan-user burst forward and plunged a black metal rod into the center of the Jinchuuriki's central Chakra coil. Bee lurched back with a grunt, the failed beheading baffling him. The Eight-tails' quickly transmitted the cause to its partner. " **It's the Path of Asura. We've underestimated him**."

The enemy, not wasting any time to allow Bee a chance for recovery, chased forward.

In response, the Eight-tails funneled a large quantity of the more toxic variant of its Chakra into the rod. He knew what it was. It was a Chakra receiver. Unless this man had truly achieved the mastery over Chakra that the original Sage of Six Paths had, he should be unable to fully cope with the acidic red material.

The Eight-tails was right. Nagato stopped in his tracks and crumbled to his knees, gritting his teeth in pain as the Chakra burned into his system and overloaded his senses.

Bee used this opening to recover. It took all his effort to tear out the rod in his midriff and drop it into the mud. The wound healed instantly as Bee's body was enveloped in red Chakra.

Bee dashed forward to make a second attempt at the intruder's life. His entire body burned with pain from the Bijuu's powerful Chakra, but he was used to it. It was one of the pitfalls in using this form while remaining fully in control of his anatomy.

Nagato was pounded into the mud with a blow that sent visible tremors through the air, and he survived if just barely. He'd moved enough to avoid a fatal blow, and his Asura Path mitigated the damage dealt. The hard metal casing that had become his dominant arm had shattered.

Ignoring his pain, Nagato reached up just as his body ground into the rain-soaked earth. With his remaining arm, he held the Eight-tails in place by increasing the effect of gravity on it to an ungodly rate. Nagato grimaced. The technique was consuming his Chakra fast. Already, the first signs of Chakra exhaustion were beginning to appear. He felt light-headed and almost weak. The lake of Chakra that he'd had when he'd started the assault feeling hollow and empty.

Bee tried to make a second blow, but could barely move. His limbs, even in his current form, couldn't help but conform to the crushing force, and he was promptly flattened into the ground, his legs unable to hold him up. The pressure was so tight it was suffocating. An entire segment of Earth in the surrounding area sunk, forming a deep crevice. The techniques area of influence spanned over a kilometer in area.

Moving as quick as possible, a small piece of paper flashed into Nagato's hand. With a light touch, he placed the paper on Killer Bee's head and quickly released his technique. He'd used enough Chakra to destroy an entire village, drawing upon the Gedou Mazo to make up for the deficit. His lifespan had undoubtedly decreased, but it was worth it. Being the central focus of the gravitational technique, even if the Eight-tail's internal organs hadn't been turned to mush, the seal that was now infused onto it should have neutralized its movements.  
The scrap of paper and Chakra ink was a conduit back to a larger sealing structure that filled up several caverns deep under what used to be the Hidden Mist Village. In short, it was a masterpiece.

Nagato walked up to the Eight-tails' container and prodded the man with a spontaneous metal rod.

Bee stood still as a statue, as if frozen in time. Inside, the Eight-tails was similarly constrained. The seal was designed to stop movement. Nagato wasn't exactly sure how it worked, but the seal had been designed for a creature much greater than the Eight-tails. To see it in action was a confirmation of the genius of the Uzumaki.

"BEE!"

Nagato turned to stare into the face of the two-tailed Jinchuuriki. It was recovering fast after having suffered the technique that had already killed the other blonde woman that lay not far away, but not fast enough. The Two-tails' healing factor was apparently much weaker than that of the Eight-tails. The metal rods tethering her down certainly didn't help.

"Bee! Move… please." Yugito wept. "Why? Why is this happening? Why are you doing this?"

Nagato drew some Chakra from the Eight-tails' Jinchuuriki and moved towards his next target. "Why you ask? Always that same question. It appears you are unable to comprehend what has happened to your village and its people. Why." Nagato's voice filled with disgust. "Why was the Hidden Rain pillaged for a war that it had no part in? Why were we slaughtered? Why were our lands appropriated and our people made to be beggars and orphans, thieves and bandits, killers?"

Using his previous opponent's Chakra Nagato pressed the woman down with an invisible force, and knelt before her. "It is the unending cycle of what we know as the Shinobi system. A cycle of hatred and pain that doesn't end."

Yugito struggled to no avail. Her village - her people - destroyed for being part of the Shinobi system. She understood that the Hidden Rain had suffered during the Second Shinobi War, but regardless, her people did not deserve this slaughter. There was no objective reason for them to die like this.

"You goddamned piece of filth." Yugito shook, the pain of being punctured and having several broken bones addling her mind. "You're just slaking your thirst for revenge and coating it with crack philosophy."

"No. I am protecting my village, just as you would protect yours. Your alliance with the Leaf is an act of war against the Hidden Rain." Nagato appeared to soften. He gently fit his hand under the woman's chin, forcing her face upwards. "Do you hate me?"

"I will kill you." Yugito snarled as she battled to stay conscious. against blood loss. "I will tear your flesh from its skin. I will make you suffer as you have made us suffer!"

Nagato calmly detached the rest of his broken left arm. The metal shards splashed into a puddle. "And then what?"  
"And then I will have protected what is left of the village. I will have done all those you've killed today the justice they deserve." Yugito resisted a shiver. Rarely had she felt cold in her life. The flames of the Two-tails' Chakra coursed through her veins for as long as she could remember, but now, in this cold wet rain and in what was probably the last moments of her life, Yugito felt cold. Her fingers were numb, and her breathing was becoming difficult.

Inside her, the two-tails - Matatabi - spoke. ' _ **Let me out. I will fix everything. I will destroy your opponent for you.**_ '

Yugito smiled wistfully. ' _Even Killer Bee couldn't beat him. I've already fought him with your full power.'_

Matatabi laughed. ' _ **Not even going to release me even in the face of death?**_ '

' _You wily cat. Don't worry. You'll be free again in two decades. Two decades probably doesn't mean much to you who have lived for thousands of years.'_

' **Well. I can't really say I'd miss you.** _**You've tortured me for the last 18 years, forcing me to give you Chakra and treating me like a servant. You've been a real bitch. I hate you.**_ '

Outside, the Rinnegan-user had finished whatever monologue he was giving. He reached down and knocked the woman out of consciousness. Originally, he'd intended for the other members of the Akatsuki to help him extract the Bijuu, but now that he was alone, the process took much too long. It'd taken him several weeks just to extract the six-tails. He hadn't even gotten around to taking the three-tails out of its container yet before he'd gotten wind of this 'Shinobi Alliance'. He wondered if Kabuto could help with the extraction. Or perhaps the Uzumaki. She could probably design a seal to streamline the extraction process.

With these thoughts in mind, he made his way back to the Eight-tails. It was at this moment that some of the spectators that he'd sensed from before chose this moment to start moving. Some were escaping while others.. maybe they thought he was weaker now without his one of his arms. Nagato watched as they approached, his rain sensing their every movement. His animal path had been out of use for a while, and he had absorbed enough Chakra from the Eight-tails' Jinchuuriki to make a few summons.

He slapped his palm onto the mud. "' _Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"'_


	55. (8) Trust

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto but.. Naruto owns me. He owns my soul. OoooooOooH.

* * *

"My turn, my turn, my turn!" Naruto shoved Sasuke to the side and sat. "I'll destroy you!"

"Look. If Sasuke couldn't beat me, there's no way in hell that you'll even come close."

"Hey!" Naruto waved a fist in the air. "What the hell are you trying to say?!"

"Shikamaru is right, Naruto!" Sakura shoved the blonde in much the same way that he'd shoved Sasuke. "You're way dumber than Sasuke. Let me try."

"You know." Sasuke smiled almost kindly. "Why not let him give it a shot. Who knows? He might actually win."

"You bet I'd win!" Naruto yelled excitedly.

"Well, if you want your ass handed to you." Shikamaru sighed and began setting up the pieces

"Ugh." Sakura crossed her arms. "Fine." She stood. Naruto stuck his tongue out cheekily and sat on the spot across from the renowned child-genius.

Sakura grit her teeth. "Shikamaru. You'd better beat his arrogant, weak ass all the way back to the academy, or we're officially putting you on the same level of stupid as Naruto."

"Yeah. Whatever." Shikamaru moved the first piece. Naruto did the same with utter confidence. Shikamaru matched the move and spoke. "By the way, Naruto, weren't you supposed to be home today? What are you doing here?"

Naruto looked up. "What? How'd you know I was supposed to be home?!"

"You rejected the invitation we sent you."

"Huh? What invitation?" Naruto quickly pushed one of his pieces into place. "I didn't get anything. I thought you were just being jerks and didn't invite me.

Shikamaru leapt one of his pieces into position. "That's weird. Then how did you hear about this Genin reunion-slash-sleepover?"

Naruto made a move and pointed a thumb to Sasuke. "Easy. Duh."

"Ah." Shikamaru struck down the first of Naruto's generals.

Naruto's mouth opened and closed in shock. "You were distracting me!"

"Obviously, but you were the one who put your general directly in line of my assassin. It was right there. You really have no excuse."

Sakura cheered. "Get wrecked, Naruto!"

"Hmph!" Naruto crossed his arms and brought out his second general. "I did that just to make you get cocky. Now that you're gonna be overconfident and everything." Naruto stuck out a fist with a thumb pointed to the floor. "You're going down!"

"You know generally with psychological warfare, you don't tell your opponent what you're trying to do."

"I don't know what you're talking about but you're going _down!_ "

Shikamaru yawned. "So I assume you came to this little sleepover without getting permission from your Dad?"

Naruto grinned. "I left a clone to sleep in my place. He'll never find out."

"You know, you probably could've just asked him. I think he'd let you come over even if you did reject the invitation."

Naruto picked up a piece and shoved it through the ranks of Shikamaru's army. "What invitation?!"

Ignoring the obvious bait, Shikamaru threw one of his cannons across the board. "Oh look. I got another general."

"AAH! What the hell?!" Naruto pulled at his spiky blonde hair in exasperation.

Nearby, Sasuke's voice reached his ear. "There was no invitation."

Naruto's head snapped up as he glared at the Shogi master sitting across from him. " _What the fuck?! Are you fucking kidding me?!"_

At that, Sakura lost control. She collapsed on her hand and knees, bawling in laughter, causing her best friend Ino to pop her head in from the girl's room. "What's going on? What's so funny?"

Behind her, Hinata could be seen staring intently into the boy's room. "I would also like to know."

"Nothing is funny!" Naruto yelled in response, causing Hinata to flinch. "Shikamaru cheated!"

"Oh. Naruto taking on Shikamaru in Shogi?" Ino smirked and walked in. "I've got to see this."

Naruto pouted, picked up another piece and slammed it into position on the table.

Sasuke put a hand over his eyes. "Naruto, do you realize what you've just done?"

"What?" Naruto quickly scanned the board. "What did I do?"

He looked up at Shikamaru who wore an expression of utter bemusement. "You suck."

"Huh?! What the hell did I do?!"

Sakura, having recovered from her bout of humor, crawled up to the board and picked up Naruto's Kage. She then picked up Shikamaru's earlier assassin and placed it right next to the undefended Kage-piece. "Your shogi intuition is terrible. Do you even know how to play?"

"No way.." Naruto stared dumbfounded at the board before sitting up with a look of sheer determination. He jabbed a finger toward the bored-looking Shogi genius. "I demand a rematch!"

"Uhm yeah.." Shikamaru looked down at the board. "No. You should probably learn some basic strategies first before you challenge me. Else, I'll just keep beating you. It'll be humiliating for you and it'll be boring for me. Your options are to either ask my dad to refer you to some beginner's shogi guides or you can watch me play Sakura."

Naruto huffed and stood up. "You'd better hand her ass to her or I'll-"

"Yeah whatever." Sakura interrupted flippantly. "I'll probably lose since it's Shikamaru, but it won't be anywhere _near_ as stupid as your game."

Naruto sat on the side next to Sasuke. "I bet she loses in ten rounds."

"I wouldn't make that bet if I were you." Sasuke replied.

"Why?"

"Because Sakura's actually pretty good at Shogi." Ino replied, taking a seat next to Sasuke.

Naruto looked to his fellow blonde. "But Shikamaru is.. well.. Shikamaru."

"Yeah." Ino scoffed. "A lazy, good-for-nothing who thinks he's soooo smart. I bet Sakura could give him a run for his money."

"You're on!"

Ino cheered. "Loser has to kiss Sasuke!"

"No." said Sasuke. "Absolutely not. I refuse."

"Yeah!" Naruto said in agreement. "If you lose, you get to kiss Sasuke, which is something you _want_ to do anyway! Loser has to do something that they _don't_ want to do."

Ino looked longingly at Sasuke who did his best to ignore her as he focused his eyes on Sakura's game. "Ok. Then you pick my punishment."

"Well then.." Naruto looked around the room and spotted Hinata standing quietly on the other side of the Shogi-table and watching the game. "You'll have to kiss Hinata!"

Hinata looked up upon hearing Naruto's declaration. Her cheeks began to flush a tint of red. "W-what?"

"You're _so_ on!"

" _Wait!_ " Sasuke spared a glance at the flustered Hinata before looking to both Naruto and Ino. "When I said ' _I refuse._ ' I meant it. I am not kissing Naruto. You shouldn't coerce Hinata into doing anything either."

"Come on!" Ino stared into Sasuke's eyes with what she hoped to be an appealing look. "Don't be like that!"

Sasuke stared back into Ino's eyes and activated his sharingan. His option was clear. Naruto was clearly going to lose the bet, and desperate times called for desperate measures. "No."

Ino pursed her lips glumly for a few moments before quickly recovering with an easy smile. "Fine."

Hinata released a breath of relief. Even if Naruto was most likely going to lose the bet ( _Sorry, Naruto-kun!)_ , she was still somewhat relieved that she didn't have to be part of the punishment ( _Thank you, Sasuke-kun!)_

"How about loser has to treat everyone here to Ramen at Ichiraku's everyday for a week?" exclaimed Ino.

Naruto grinned. "I like the sound of that!"

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Her eyes snapped open, her meditation interrupted. The door opened and the man responsible for the interruption walked in without ceremony. The small apartment room that she'd been given didn't have very good security, but she _knew_ that she'd added several safety measures. How did the lying traitor get in? Burying these questions along with a slight feeling of fear, Konan spoke first. "I seem to recall asking you to stay away from me. I have no desire to interact with you."

"Ah, but that would be ignoring Minato-sensei's desire for us to get along." Obito sat on the chair a short distance from his former Akatsuki ally. "So, you and Minato-sensei. How did it happen?"

Konan glared at the man. She'd despised him for betraying the Akatsuki, but after learning that he'd been the one who'd slaughtered the original members of the Akatsuki before Yahiko's death, her distaste had turned to outright hatred. If she had her way, Uchiha Obito would be dead. No. Worse. Dying was too good for him. "What do you want?"

Obito crossed his legs in an overt show of disregard to the woman's hostility. "Indulge me." He turned his eyes directly at his fellow tenant. She averted her eyes, turning them to the side. Obito chuckled.

"Is it the sex?"

Konan shot up. "If you have nothing of any value to say to me, Uchiha Obito, then leave."

"I'm not really interested in your bland little relationship anyway." Obito said dryly. "What are you going to do when we declare war on the Hidden Rain?"

A chill crawled down her spine at the words that came out of the traitor's mouth. "What?"

"Ah. I didn't know your ears had gone bad. My apologies. Let me repeat that for you. _What are you going to do when the Hidden Leaf declares war on your home nation?_ "

"They wouldn't! Jiraiya-sensei.. Minato. They promised!"

"To try to find a peaceful solution, yes." Obito laid back. "But how are they going to do that when Nagato has clearly shown that he's willing to slaughter entire villages of people?"

"Nagato must've had a reason for destroying the Hidden Mist. There's no evidence that he'd attack any other hidden village."

"Do you really think so?" Obito examined his former ally, his implanted Sharingan blazing an unearthly red. "You and I both know that Nagato is after the nine tailed beasts. I seem to recall having left a certain Three-tails lying around in the Hidden Mist. He was clearly after the Three-tailed Jinchuuriki that I'd released from my control. He could've taken the Bijuu easily without slaughtering the villagers."

"They were a threat."

" _A threat?_ The Mist was barely recovering from its civil war. They had no incentive or any power to threaten the Hidden Rain. I would know. I controlled the entire nation for ten years."

Konan stared angrily out the window, making sure to keep her eyes from meeting Obito's Sharingan. Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her. "Well maybe if the Hidden Mist had just surrendered their Bijuu peacefully, then-"

Obito burst out laughing. "' _Surrendered their Bijuu peacefully_ '. Are you even listening to what's coming out of your mouth?"  
He suddenly jerked back, dodging several projectiles from puncturing his head.

A sea of paper projectiles floated out of Konan's body, every one of them lethal and every one of them pointing toward the Uchiha.

Obito's voice took a dangerous turn. "You cannot defeat me."

The thousands of paper projectiles flew toward the Uchiha. A massive chunk of wood shot up out of the ground, intercepting the attack. "You are a threat to the Hidden Leaf, Konan."

The woman felt a twinge of fear jerk at her senses and she made to escape only to find that her ankles had been snared by tendrils of wood. Soon, her entire body was bound.

Obito's voice spoke dryly from behind her. "Did you think I came unprepared?"

Konan struggled, even attempting to transmute herself into paper, but with no success.

The wood release was the First Hokage's renowned affinity. It was also what he used to subdue the Nine-tailed Fox. Its Chakra-suppressing properties was precisely what made it the source of some of the most powerful sealing techniques.

"I just wanted to talk, but I think that is no longer necessary. I've gotten the information that I wanted." Obito spoke without a single trace of pity. "You are an enemy."

A third voice broke in. "Obito that's enough."

Obito stared grimly at his captive as his mentor came out of hiding. "If I were you Minato-sensei, I would lock her up in a sealed environment until the end of the war. You'd probably disagree with the other option."

Konan turned her glare to the man she'd thought she could trust, a feeling of betrayal settled inside her. "You and Jiraiya-sensei promised you'd reconcile with Nagato in a peaceful way!"

"We promised to try. We failed. With Nagato murdering tens of thousands and refusing to negotiate, there is no way to settle this peacefully."

" _You liar_."

"You would have me surrender my son peacefully to be killed for the sake of creating some weapon of mass destruction. In what world did you think I would possibly do that?"

"You _promised_."

"I will not stand by when my village is threatened. It's the same for you isn't it? The lives of my people are in danger. My _son_ is being targeted for death and extraction. I will protect them at all costs."

There was a moment of silence during which one party waited for a response while the other contemplated it. Konan looked into the former Kage's face, tears beginning to trail out of her eyes. Her voice came out a desolate whisper. "I trusted you."

"Konan.. Once Nagato is dead" - Konan winced visibly, giving Minato pause. "Once Nagato is dead, all of it ends. No one else needs to be hurt. He is a threat to all people and nations, including his own. You have to understand."

"And you'll have all the time to think about it while under house arrest." Obito stood up and raised his arms, tendrils of wood began filling up the entire room. The prearranged seals in place, Obito dropped his arms, staring all the while into the deadened eyes of his former ally. "Let's go."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The leader of the Hidden Rain stood atop the colossal skyscraper that was built at the city's center, staring out at the grey sky. His single arm hung limply at his side.  
Jiraiya had sent another letter, and this time, it was more than just a plea, but also a warning. It seems that the sentimental old man still had hope that he would once again succumb to the blind, naive ideals that he'd held in the past - before Yahiko's death. The newly minted 'Shinobi Alliance' probably thought that with their strength in numbers, they could pressure him to back off and back down from his goals.

Now they've paid the price. Many more will suffer, and countless more will die, but it didn't matter. The Shinobi system had to be destroyed. The world didn't need Shinobi. Shinobi merely brought misery and death. After he collected the Bijuu, not only would he rid the world of Shinobi with their power, he would also deter anyone from ever causing pain again. The suffering that he brought would set a standard. Even if he were to die, people would look at this point in history and denounce the pain that he inevitably will have caused. They will denounce him and they will denounce the system that created him.

The many bouts of pointless conflicts, betrayals, and slaughter that the Shinobi system had made commonplace will no longer be deemed a viable societal norm. Thus he would succeed. How could everyone else be so blind? As long as there were Shinobi, there will be slaughter. People will _never_ come to understand one another until he'd succeeded.

Where he and Jiraiya differed was that Jiraiya saw the process and the end result to be one and the same.

He closed his eyes in grim thought. Fighting while missing an arm wasn't impossible. He was still the single strongest Shinobi alive as far as he was aware. However taking on an entire Hidden village - the Hidden Leaf no less - with such a disability was not without its risks. He could of course resume the assault with his original Six Paths of Pain and split his powers among six corpse puppets. It wouldn't be the same, however. If he had tried that course of action in Kumo, his destruction of the village would have without doubt failed miserably. Besides, Kabuto could easily replace his arm for him. The pleasure that the man clearly enjoyed from deceiving his undead Uzumaki reincarnation was unnatural and disturbing, but he wasn't without his uses. Kabuto was very good at what he did, and replacing the lost arm was definitely something that could be managed.

Nagato clenched his remaining fist.

If the Hidden Leaf fell, the rest would submit themselves without a doubt. The Tsuchikage was renowned for his stubborn fence-sitting, a trait no doubt born from the fear of getting his people involved and hurt. It was a good trait in a leader, but when faced with a domineering power that they were certainly incapable of overcoming, such a trait would inevitably lean into appeasement. But until the Leaf fell, the self-righteous leader of Iwa would most likely hold on to a thread of hope - enough to make an attempt to stand against him. He would just have to crush that hope.

After Iwa bowed to him, Suna would come next. It was without question the weakest of the five great nations, and with the death of their former Kage by the hands of Orochimaru nearly a year back, it was still in the process of recovery. Suna had never been known to be the strongest of the Great Five. He wasn't worried.

The loss of Kumo was a heavy blow, but the destruction of the Leaf would ensure the outcome of this war.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Come back this afternoon. I'll have the arm and the operation prepared for you then." Kabuto tossed his surgical knife into the air and caught it. "You seem to have a knack for losing your limbs. What's up with that?"

Nagato stared hard at his accomplice for a short, silent moment. "See to it that your puppet finds a solution as soon as possible. Time is our enemy."

 _Ignoring my question. Typical._ Kabuto twirled his surgical knife professionally. "Ok."

"Where is she?"

"Checking the seal." Kabuto grinned. "It'd be an understatement to say that she's in a really good mood right now."

Nagato spared another moment of silence to stare at the snake-man.

Kabuto stared back. "What?"

"I will have a word with her first. The story remains as what we've discussed. You still haven't completely mastered control of her mind?"

"No."

The man turned and left.

Kabuto gave his knife one more twirl and set it down. Clearly the man lacked almost all the qualities that made a good leader. To put it more bluntly, the 'Sage of Six Path Reborn' was an incredibly unpleasant and socially awkward individual. The only reason this orphan of the Second Shinobi War had any amount of support from his people was due to his overwhelming power and abilities. Nothing else.

Kushina detested such a leadership. She believed that those who ruled on strength alone became isolated in their power and their rule, that they'd start to disregard the ideas and desires of the individuals over which they ruled.

Having been a multi-agent spy under many regimes across the continent, Kabuto knew the truth of those words better than anyone else. He'd seen it all. Those who were afraid to lose their position of power, those who cared for nothing but their own desires, those who just didn't care, and.. and Orochimaru. A man whose vision wasn't to make a throne for himself, nor was it to waste his life seeking useless pleasures. Orochimaru wanted knowledge. There was something beautiful in that singular desire, something which Kabuto had shared with his now-deceased mentor. It was a pity. Orochimaru should never have died, not in the way that he did. He should have been immortal.

Kabuto sat and kneaded his head in exasperation. He needed to clear his head. He needed to think.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

He walked through the cavern. The walls around him were a bland rocky grey, jagged and unappealing to his perfect vision. It didn't bother him. He'd long rid himself of his aversion to what others would consider ugly, drab and dreary. There was no purpose to pointless artistry. Ugliness and beauty were subjective constructs. They didn't matter. As long as society could exist without the same pain that he'd suffered - a society of peace - nothing else mattered.

He moved quickly but without haste as he contemplated what he would say to the dead woman. Around him, he began to notice markings of what could only be the outlying portions of the massive seal that the Uzumaki had spent countless sleepless nights and long, lonely days carving into the stubborn rock. Such productivity could only be achieved by the undead.

The markings bloomed before him, flowering out in tight, structured and purposeful patterns from the ceilings of the hollowed passage to the floor under his feet.

Nagato contemplated the utility of the Edo Tensei. When his new arm had been attached, he would have Kabuto reveal to him the secrets of the technique, whether the man wanted to do so or not. He could no longer trust others to uphold their pact with him. Konan's betrayal had taught him better. If she truly cared for him and his goals, she would have submitted her soul. Now it was too late. She was an enemy.

He hated thinking of her as an enemy. Once, a long time ago, he'd sworn to protect her. Her and Yahiko. Yahiko's death had strengthened their interdependence and bond. Or so he'd thought.

 _After all I've done for her. The ungrateful-_

"Ah. There you are!" A voice interjected. "I've been waiting to see you again!"

Nagato stopped as he entered one of the larger caverns in the series of cave complexes that had been dug under the Hidden Rain. It was astounding how the village had so much space so far underground and not a single one of them had known about it, even if the caverns were man-made.

"I was just checking the seal to make sure that there weren't any problems. Isn't it wonderful?"

Nagato let his gaze wander. From floor to ceiling, the heavy density of seal inscriptions glowed a variety of reddish colors. In another time, they would've been beautiful to behold, but now..

"It's a lot less overwhelming than I'd thought, this ten-tails. The seal isn't even filled to quarter-capacity, but I'm so glad! How was it?"

Nagato tried not to smile. The woman was obviously very excited about the success of her long nights of toil. "The capture of the Ten-tails was not as successful as hoped."

The woman's smile lessened slightly.

"But," Nagato held up a hand to indicate that he had more to say. "I have successfully encapsulated several Bijuu. The Ten-tails is now much weaker than it was before. I only have one more task for you."

"Anything." The woman replied, clearly still ecstatic from the success. Nagato noted that her face was completely smoothed of the cracks that had been there since he'd previously seen her. It seems Kabuto has been wasting time developing useless fixes to the Edo-Tensei.

"It seems that the Jinchuuriki that the Nine-tails had devoured are still alive. Some of them have managed to escape. I've-"

"Escaped?!" Kushina blurted loudly. "Does that mean that my son could still be alive?!"

Nagato stared silently at the woman for a short moment. "I do not know. Come with me."

The Sage turned and began walking toward Kabuto's lab. Kushina followed silently. If Jinchuuriki have escaped, then isn't it possible that her son, the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tails, is still alive? However slim that possibility might be, Kushina could not help but hope. Everything was going well. The Ten-tails was crumbling, and her seal was working to hold whatever it was holding right now. It meant that they could triumph.

It meant that she might still be able to save her son.

"How did you not know that this was possible to begin with? Aren't you the Sage of Six Paths, the creator of the Bijuu?"  
Nagato continued walking as he maintained perfect control of his body language and his voice. The question had nearly caught him offguard, but it had a simple explanation. "The Ten-tails has existed long before I was born and is as old as the planet itself. Even I am not fully conscious of all its inner workings."  
"Oh. I see." She paused. "Where are we going?"

"To see some of the Jinchuuriki. I'll need help extracting their Bijuu. Kabuto will be coming with us. We will speak further then."

"I understand." Kushina replied. The Sage's desire to end the conversation was clear. He probably had some things to explain to both her and Kabuto and it would be less redundant if Kabuto were there.

"I hope my son is alive."

Nagato gave a short sigh of breath but made no other response.

The two carried on in silence. As they passed the perimeters of the massive seal that held the Eight-tails and its Jinchuuriki restrained, Kushina turned again to admire her handiwork for a brief second. She couldn't help the feeling of hope that flooded her. They were winning, and her son could still be alive.

The image of her little child flashed before her. He'd looked so peaceful in those last moments before she'd died, his chubby little hands and his tiny body imprinted in her mind's eye. The Fates wouldn't be so cruel as to have killed her innocent baby before he'd even gotten to walk his first steps. It wouldn't be _fair_. They'd already taken so much. Now that she'd started to hope again, she didn't dare contemplate anything else. Even if Minato were dead.. even if he were dead, she could still hold on to the hope that her baby was still alive. He just had to be.

 _Naruto._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Tiny paper filaments quietly slipped through the room, leaving not a trace of sound as it crept across the floor. She was merely a clone, but that didn't matter. As long as she achieved her objective,

By the time the village realize that the Nine-tails had been kidnapped, it would be too late.. those _traitors_. They'd _promised_ to not hurt the people of the Hidden Rain. They'd _promised_ to find a way to reach a peaceful accord. And then they went and declared war on her nation. She couldn't believe she'd let her emotions get the better of her. True, Nagato had attempted to remove her abilities and maybe her life, but he didn't broach any nonsense, lies or false idealism. He knew what he was doing. He knew what had to be done.

She approached the child - the container of the most powerful of the nine Bijuu. When she brought the Nine-tails back to Nagato, he would have no choice but to reconcile and accept her. She will have proved her worth and her convictions. Surely he thought about her.

The papers reached the edge of the mat.

She shouldn't have faltered in the first place, but the release of emotions and thoughts that had been pent up for over a decade had been too strong, and now the Hidden Rain was going to be annihilated. Her people were going to die, and here was her chance to give them the upper hand.

The paper began wrapping around the child who continued to snore blissfully into his pillow. A puddle of drool lay beneath his oblivious cheeks.

Before long, the boy had been completely consumed by the mass of pure white.

The woman paused for a few moments with her bundle as if in hesitation, then, her target acquired, Konan swiftly left the apartment compound.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Oh my god!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, causing everyone to jump.

"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked.

"Someone kidnapped my clone!"

Shikamaru put his hands in a thinking position. "Do you know who it is?"

Naruto nodded. "I've got to go tell my dad!"

Sasuke stood. "I'm coming with you."

"Me too." said Sakura. "If someone's trying to kidnap you, then odds are you won't be safe alone." Sakura turned to Shikamaru with an apologetic smile. "Sorry Shikamaru. Maybe we can play again next time."

"That would be nice." Although a little disappointed, Shikamaru understood the import of the situation. Still.. it'd been so long since he'd faced a new opponent who'd offered him such a challenge. It was a pity.

"See ya." With those last words, Naruto departed, taking Team Seven with him.

There was a moment of silence before Shikamaru broke it. "So. Who's up for a game of Shogi?"

He looked around.

Ino got up and started to leave. "I'm going to see what Neji and Tenten are up to." Hinata bowed and followed.

Kiba was still snoring soundly and Chouji was probably in the dining room.

Rock Lee.. the boy in the green jumpsuit smiled from the position he'd taken and offered a thumb up. "I would take your youthful challenge, but I must complete one hundred minutes standing on one arm. If I can't do that, I'll run 200 laps around the village tomorrow. If I can't do that, I'll do one hundred minutes on my thumb! If I can't do that I'll run fifty laps on my hands after I do the 200 laps! If I can't do that, I'll do 2000 push-ups after lunch! If I can't do that-"

"Ok. You do that." Shikamaru yawned and stretched. "I think I'll just go to sleep."

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

I could probably have split this into two chapters but. Eh. What the heck?

Happy Merry Christmas and New Years and Holidays and everything enjoyable that you might be doing at this particular time of year!

Hohoho! :)


	56. (8) Plea

Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto and whatever company he is affiliated with owns Naruto. Not me.

* * *

The dimly lit cavern barely allowed for vision of the three men within. Two lay prone on individual table surfaces.

The third man, the surgeon, twirled a knife into one hand and an anaesthetic needle into the other. "The procedure will be the same as before. It will take approximately two hours to successfully and completely attach that arm. After that, the treatment will be the same."

Ignoring Kabuto's words, Nagato turned his eyes to the man who would be giving him his new arm. The man stared back with fear. Kabuto smiled as he set up the area. The response was not unexpected.

One of the main problems with transplanting an alien limb was its rejection by the recipient's immune system. A foreign limb filled with foreign blood was often considered by the body's immune defenses to be a threat. While it was possible and easy to do the transplant without a donor of a similar makeup with the techniques that Orochimaru had developed, it required a much longer procedure. If there was a fitting donor available, it was simply easier on him to make use of it.

A perfect sacrifice was hard to come by and the man whose legs had been taken for the previous operation had spare limbs. Orochimaru had taught him at an early age to operate with maximal efficiency.

The man stared at the surgical knife held in the surgeon's hands and began to cry silent tears. Of course, this poor cripple could have been kept unconscious indefinitely, but there was no fun in that.

Kabuto licked his lips. No. It was much more exciting when they are awake to see the happenings that would define the rest of their existence.

"Do you really think she can come up with something to extract the Bijuu more quickly within the time limit that you've given her?"

"It matters not." Nagato turned his head from where he lay. "The request is more a matter of convenience than necessity. There is nothing lost in trying for efficiency. If your slave is incapable, then regardless of its difficulties, the extraction will be performed as originally planned."

"Oho?" Kabuto fondled the anaesthetic needle before putting it back on the table. "So you're not afraid that she'd disregard your words and discover the truth?"

"I have a safeguard prepared. If it fails, you will dispel her then. She will be of no further use to us."

"Of course." Kabuto walked toward his donor with a knife in hand. The scalpel he held glowed a cheery, green color. As the man struggled to no avail, Nagato considered his new arm. It would take several days to open the Chakra pathways therein to better accommodate his chakra, several days of precious time in which the Leaf had more time to adjust to the news of Kumo's destruction and prepare accordingly.

A scream rent the air as Kabuto cleanly removed the required limb from his donor.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

" _They have lost their minds and any trace of who they were before. Do not remove the seals I've placed on them and make no attempt to remedy their situation. Their souls are long gone from their bodies - devoured by the beast that swallowed them. In their place is only the Bijuu which possessed them in life… I am sorry.. about your son._ "

Kushina ran a hand through the hair of the child that had once been the Jinchuuriki of the Three-tails. She could sense the Bijuu inside it, even locate the seal which contained the beast. The boy appeared no different than a normal Jinchuuriki and yet..

Kushina stood abruptly and turned to examine the Jinchuuriki of the Two-tailed Bijuu. The woman's eyes remained closed and she looked peaceful. Kushina envied that peace. The anguish which she felt was almost overbearing. It was too cruel. To have given her hope and to have allowed her to hope like she had only to just smash it all with those uncaring words.

" _I am sorry.. about your son._ "

It shouldn't be this way. How did the Sage know that they were gone? Maybe he had seen them act wildly. Maybe it was true that he could see souls and that their souls were no longer visible as he claimed. But what if there were factors outside the scope of those legendary eyes? Maybe the spirit of the Bijuu were simply masking the souls from being visible. There were an infinite number of possibilities and however unlikely those possibilities would be..

Kushina put a hand on the blonde Jinchuuriki's belly where the Bijuu seal is undoubtedly located. If there was any chance that the person that this woman had once been could be rescued, she would take it. It would mean the salvation of her son.

Kushina set four markers at each corner of the room. She'd labored many weeks to create the seal, and knowing that it'd worked perfectly to contain the Chakra of the Eight-tails, she was confident that she could restrain the Two-tails if anything went awry.

Something in the back of her mind told her to stop and to heed the words of the Sage of Six Paths, and for a moment she hesitated.

What if she were doing something stupid? What if her actions caused the Sage's efforts to all come to nought? Would she have betrayed the Sage? Would she have betrayed Kabuto?

Kushina collapsed onto the floor. No. She couldn't do it. Putting humanity at risk in order to try fulfilling her selfish desires - desires which she should've already abandoned - was selfish. It was something she couldn't do. Kabuto trusted her. The Sage trusted her, and she would do what she had been tasked.

Kushina walked back toward the desk that'd been prepared for her and began scribbling the beginnings of some seal notations in the notebook that Kabuto had given her. As she wrote, her eyes began to water and she swept an arm across them. The movement didn't stop her tears, however, and for the second time since she'd been revived, Kushina cried over the loss of her child, her husband, and her village. The more she thought on it, the more miserable she became. Her hands trembled. The misery began to overwhelm her ability to write properly, causing the words she was trying to write to come out as nothing more than gibberish.

"Naruto.." Kushina mumbled. Everything she and her husband had worked for were gone. She just had to accept it. The brush fell out of her hands. She'd already accepted it. Kabuto had helped her with that. There was no point holding regrets over the past. Right now she needed to calm her mind and focus. _Focus!_ She reached forcefully for the brush only to accidentally send it rolling away. The page before her dampened considerably as the brush clattered onto the floor.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Nagato struggled to move, but his body refused to obey. "What is this?"

The Rinnegan-user glared hard at the man he'd thought was an ally.

"If I had tried anything direct, I would've been defeated instantly. You suspect me and were watching my every move when I'm around you. What you failed to account for was that I could have made my move elsewhere." Kabuto's smile had never been wider or more full of glee. "I poisoned your donor beforehand. You should be feeling your muscles atrophying. Your heart is slowing and your Chakra systems are shutting down."

Nagato fists shook weakly, but his rage was so thick, it was almost palpable. "KABUTOOO!"

Kabuto laughed. "How do you like your new arm, oh great Sage of Six Paths?! Don't worry. You'll still be alive - for a few moments, but you won't ever be able to move again. Haha! You get to watch as I take your eyes. The legendary doujutsu - the _Rinnegan_."

Nagato roared, his efforts at combatting the poison failing him at every turn. The more Chakra he exerted, the worse it seemed to become.

Kabuto pushed against his glasses and put his face mere centimeters in front of the face of the struggling man. "You know. I never really liked you. Even my ' _slave_ ', as you'd call her, commands more respect from me than you did."

Nagato stared into the snakeman's eyes, his attempts at Genjutsu not producing any discernible effect whatsoever. He had to stall. There must be a solution. He couldn't die here. The world needed him. Peace would not come about without him. "Explain."

Kabuto prodded Nagato's eyes as he continued to smile. "You're a complete lunatic. Has anyone ever told you that?" He waited for a response and for a few seconds, neither party spoke. Kabuto's smile seemed to lessen for a fraction of a second, but it quickly recovered its previous stature. "Well you're a complete, mass-murdering, lunatic with no leadership qualities whatsoever - other than overwhelming power of course, but that doesn't really count. Even your woman - Konan was it? - even she has abandoned you." Kabuto caressed the man's face in mock gentleness. "Orochimaru-sama knows just about all there is to know about you, Mr. Sage - you and your pathetic existence. You should be thanking me for ending this tragedy that is your life. The world should be thanking me. Now isn't that ironic? Me? Saving the world from you?"

Nagato made to ground his teeth, but the muscles in his jaws had been slackened considerably. He was no longer capable of speaking. The poison running through his blood and the mutilation of his Chakra coils weakening his every bodily function. A low groan emitted from the man's throat. It was the most he could do.

Kabuto backed away and took up a container of special preservative fluids. He walked back over to the still-conscious leader of the Hidden Rain and silently retrieved the legendary eyes from its previous owner. Nagato could do nothing but watch. The moment was.. anticlimactic. There was no other word for it. Kabuto sighed and put the jar of ringed eyes onto a table next to him.

The third man that was there - the donor - stared with pleadingly at the surgeon who'd already removed three of his limbs.

Kabuto smiled. "You do know that the same poison is running through your blood."

The donor continued to stare.

"You want me to treat the poison?" Inferring a yes, Kabuto continued. "I can't do that. You see, the poison is made of extremely rare materials - a special concoction by Orochimaru whose malicious nature can fool even the Sage's Rinnegan. Do you know what I'm talking about?"  
The man began to cry silent tears, and Kabuto's smile widened. "There is no cure. We haven't developed one, and you'll be dead in.." Kabuto paused to think. "..ten or so minutes? Creating a cure in that amount of time is almost impossible. My deepest apologies."

Nearby, Nagato continued to make low noises in his throat. Kabuto looked with pity at what used to be the most powerful Shinobi in the world. He made his way over to the blind man with a scalpel in hand. "Maybe I should put him out of his misery."

He ran the scalpel through the man's heart and thus, the leader of the most powerful criminal organization on the continent, the head of the Hidden Rain, self-proclaimed God and Sage of Six Paths reborn, was murdered.

 _How anticlimactic_. Kabuto sighed again. Now he needed a way to explain everything to Kushina.

He withdrew the scalpel and turned to see the redhead standing at the doorway to his impromptu operation lab. _Speaking of the devil._  
Kushina's eyes widened with increasing horror as she began to take in the full scene before her. Her mind failed to comprehend the conclusions it was making. Kabuto - sweet, kind Kabuto - had just murdered the Sage of Six Paths. Nearby, another man laid nude on a table. Nary but a single limb remained on his body. She couldn't believe it. The scene before her couldn't be real. Kabuto would never do such a thing. Kabuto was kind. Kabuto wanted to save humanity. On the table next to the man she'd thought had been her friend, a jar of liquid sat with the Sage's eyes floating inside it.

This couldn't be what she was seeing.

Kabuto put his bloodied scalpel down next to the jar. "I can explain."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Konan fled with all the speed she could muster. She'd failed. The child that she'd kidnapped had been a clone. Perhaps they'd already suspected that she'd do this. Now there was no going back. Nagato was her only hope. There was nowhere else she belonged. The ring she wore on her finger, the device which they used to locate each other, beckoned her not toward her home, but towards the Hidden Mist. _Why is he in the Hidden Mist_?

It didn't matter. She would find him and she would beg for his forgiveness. Konan flew higher to get a better view of the landscape. Below, she could not see a single sign of pursuit. If he wished, Minato could have easily hunted her down and eliminated her. He must hate her for what she'd tried to do so why? Why was he letting her go?

Did he love her? Konan shook her head of the thought. Whatever lingering affections she had for the man must be discarded. It didn't matter that they shared a common past - the loss of the ones that they'd loved, a shared teacher with shared principles. It didn't matter that they were easily intimate, something which was difficult to come by in any human relationship. He'd lied to her in the worst way possible. They'd promised to redeem Nagato. They'd promised to make sure that the Hidden Rain wouldn't come to harm. Both those promises had been betrayed. There was no going back. Only forward. Delusional as it was, there was truth in Nagato's ideals. He would show her the right path, a path to a better world.. a world in which the tragedy of Yahiko's death would not be doomed to occur and repeat itself over and over. It was a world of peace, a vision worth fighting for, and it was a world that Nagato was capable of bringing about.

After hours of flying, she arrived at the site of the former Hidden Mist. The ruins that were once the buildings that made up the village lay strewn across the landscape. It was a scene of destruction. A few people could be seen milling about below.

They were probably from the other Hidden Villages. There was a lot of land under the Hidden Mist's control. Now that it was destroyed, the land-hoarding vultures have come to make their claims. It was disgusting.

She swooped down silently from above the cover of the clouds toward an isolated area. Nagato was underground. That was where she needed to be.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"He made me do it." Kabuto lied. "I had no choice."

Kushina remained silent, and Kabuto resumed his story.

"It's been thirteen years since your death. Your son is alive, the Leaf has not been destroyed, and there is no ten-tailed Bijuu."

Kushina trembled. She'd been deceived. How far the deception went she was not sure. She couldn't get her mind off the horrible sights before her, and Kabuto.. she trusted him, and a part of her still told her to trust him and listen to what he had to say. "How can I trust you?"

"You have to understand." Kabuto pleaded. "As I've said, I had no choice." Kabuto gestured toward the corpse which laid on his table. "He is no Sage of Six Paths. His name is Nagato - merely a delusional man and leader of the Hidden Rain who just happened to be born with the Rinnegan."

"You've lied to me. Who are you?"

"I'm Kabuto. Yakushi Kabuto. I studied under Orochimaru. That was no lie, and I'm not really from the Hidden Mist. I'm like you, a citizen of the Leaf. You have to believe me."

Kushina began to back away. She could not accept this. Kabuto's anguish for the village that he'd supposedly lost had been false. Everything Kabuto had told her had been lies. She was scared. She didn't know who he was, this man who'd summoned her from the dead. "The tears you shed.. for the family you never had.. those were lies too?"  
"Yes." Kabuto followed forward toward the retreating redhead. "It was to convince you of the story. Now that Nagato is gone, I can tell you the truth. And believe me when I say that I am telling you the truth. I'm not trying to get you to do anything, and if I really were your enemy, I would simply dispel you. You are nothing more than an Edo Tensei. Doomed to disappear either when your soul has achieved peace or when I release it. I'm spending time explaining this to you because I care about you, Kushina." Kabuto closed the gap between them and extended a hand forward. "If nothing else, I want you to trust that I am your friend. Please. Trust me."

Kushina examined the hand for a moment before reaching her own hand out to shake it.

Kabuto smiled. "I'll start from the beginning. Then you will understand why you are here. I'll take you back to the Hidden Leaf afterward. Don't worry. Your son is alive and well. I'm sure you'll be very happy to see him."

Kushina nodded and the two moved back into the lab room, the doors closing behind them. The moment those doors closed, traces of paper pooled together from the cave walls surrounding the entrance to form the figure of a blue-haired woman. Knowing that there was a place hidden underground, finding an entrance had been easy. On her way down, she'd encountered the red-head moving through the caverns toward the place where she felt Nagato resided and she'd followed.

If she had only known the truth then. Nagato had been killed by that _pathetic snake_ who'd worked under Orochimaru. Tears welled up in her eyes. Nagato shouldn't have trusted them. Orochimaru and Kabuto. It was the second time they'd been betrayed by the two, and this time Nagato had paid the ultimate price for it. If he had been so desperate for people, maybe he shouldn't have driven her away in the first place. He should've at least tried to convince her to stay. His stubbornness was his downfall. She could've been at his side. If she had been there, he probably wouldn't have died this way.

 _Nagato you idiot!_

Refusing to allow her tears to fall, Konan began to think of her next step. Uzumaki Kushina.. the woman who'd left a hole in Minato's heart. It was that pain of loss that had allowed her to slip in, to fill it and to heal the damage that'd been done.

Minato returned the comfort she'd provided him. The mutual and very deep understanding that they shared was what had allowed them to have bonded so easily.

Now - for whatever reason - Uzumaki Kushina had been revived with the Edo Tensei, and Nagato was dead.

Konan collected herself. She knew what she had to do. She would avenge him. Nagato did not deserve to die the way he did. Then, she would make sure that this incarnation of Uzumaki Kushina would never have the chance to return to her home. Having lived for many years conversing with Nagato through Yahiko's corpse, she knew the pain that such a meeting would bring. Minato did not need that pain. Uzumaki Kushina was already dead, and she should remain that way.

Her resolve set, Konan moved to prepare for the confrontation - a trap that would kill the man who'd murdered her childhood friend along with the undead woman which he'd summoned.

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

I watched Fate Zero and was enamored with the Fate series. Then I watched Fate stay/night which was a bit disappointing compared to Fate Zero but still good.

Emiya Kiritsugu is now my all-time favorite fictional character.

Oh and I saw Star Wars VII. Kylo Ren is literally book-Snape with a lightsaber. Someone needs to write that into fanfic. Put Snape in the Star Wars universe and have him supplant Kylo Ren (because Kylo Ren is a pathetic man). In fact, I might do that myself, when I finally finish the Third's Will, but if anyone else wants to take it up, I'd definitely be willing to read it.


	57. (8) Investment

Disclaimer: Laa dee da dee da. Don't own the Naruto franchise dee da dee da. La.

da.

* * *

It was deep into early morning, the Sun was a few hours from rising out from behind the Uchiha Compound. Naruto had gone to sleep and his friends had stayed to do the same after having reported the attempted kidnapping. Hours had passed since then.

Minato sat on the rooftop, allowing the night air to envelop him. What Konan did was a selfish move born of desperation, and it confirmed Obito's suspicions. The seal he'd placed on her ring would allow him to be there at any moment. Besides, the apartment was filled with seals. He'd seen Naruto leave the premises (and would reprimand the boy later, even if his departure had been opportune). It was the reason he hadn't reacted when he sensed her slipping piece by piece into his home. She'd gone after his son, knowing well how much the loss of Naruto would have hurt him, and she had the audacity to speak of betrayal. Even if Naruto had truly been kidnapped-

A Shinobi landed next to him from out of the dark, interrupting him of his thought. The newcomer sat, placing two cups of steaming water between them. "So where is she now?"

Minato took the cup and sipped the water cautiously. "She travelled in the direction of the Hidden Mist. From the surroundings of the area in which she landed, I think it's safe to infer that she is in fact in the land of Water. Now she's underground and clearly following someone, but that is all I know. The person is outside the range of my seal."

"Underground.. Hidden Mist.. if there's a secret base underneath the Hidden Mist village, it's probably some sort of lair that once belonged to Orochimaru. He had an appetite for underground hidden laboratories. I wouldn't be surprised if one of these laboratories were built under the Hidden Mist."

Minato nodded. That day that they'd trapped the woman into her apartment had been a setup. If she had reacted differently - if she had passed Obito's test - the result would've still been the same. It was clear that the end result she desired didn't involve Nagato's death. It was unfortunate. If she had simply agreed to do what she was doing now as part of a mission instead of as an enemy..

Minato sighed.

Once the woman was within three meters range of her precious Nagato, the assassination would be complete, and the war would be won.

It was possible that she was aware of this and had contacted her leader in order to prepare a preemptive trap for him. It was also possible that Nagato would simply murder her. The plan had its risks, but its reward was extremely high. The prevention of the inevitable battle that would come with the war would undoubtedly save tens of thousands of lives. What was the risk of one or two lives?

To put it in Danzo's words, it was for the greater good, and if it meant putting his and Konan's life at stake, then so be it.

"Well." His companion stretched and stood up. "I'll leave you two to it. I'll be going to uh.. do some other important things."

" _Important things.'"_ Minato gave a short laugh. "Oh sure you are."

"Hey!" The man cried indignantly. "Women are important. They are what brought us into the world. Have some respect."

To his other side, Obito chuckled. "Sensei, you do whatever you have to do. We'll call when we need you."

"See? He understands me. I'm off. I can't keep Tsunade-chan waiting. Send me a toad when I'm needed."

The man vanished in a puff of smoke.

 _Tsunade.. chan_. Minato shivered. He wondered how Jiraiya could dare to utter such words. It's as if the man didn't value his own life or something.

"Pass me the water." said Obito.

Minato took the other cup and handed it to his student.

"Anything happening yet?"

"No, but she's setting up some kind of physical trap."

"For you?"

"No.. not this kind of trap. If she were aware that she is being tracked like this, she wouldn't be setting up something so blatantly. Whoever she has followed is probably an enemy of hers."

"And she is _our_ enemy. An enemy of an enemy.." Obito trailed off.

"Is not necessarily a friend." Minato concluded. "We will only get one chance to do this. Saving this 'enemy' may very well ruin the mission. We will only make our move when she is within the proximity of our target."

"That is the logical approach." Obito replied and downed half his cup in a swallow, setting it down afterward. "I'll be ready."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kabuto deftly put away the storage scrolls which contained the bodies of his two newest victims, all the while talking to the still flustered redhead who accompanied him. "Those Jinchuuriki that he's shown you have all been captured after failing to defend their villages - villages which he destroyed."

"The people-?"  
"Slaughtered. Like sheep."

The redhead took a moment to let the words sink in. "And the Hidden Mist was home of one of these Bijuu."

"Yes." Kabuto replied. "The three-tails' Jinchuuriki, Yagura - the Mizukage."

"So he was capturing Bijuu in order to create a weapon, you say."  
"Yes. A weapon which he would use to threaten and destroy any nation that would oppose his vision of peace."

Kushina stared into Kabuto's eyes. The man was the picture of sincerity. She turned away to once again stare into the jar.. the jar which contained.. "What are you going to do with those?"

She turned back to Kabuto who smiled. "I'm going to give them to you."

"Why?"

"Do you still doubt me?" With the smile remaining on his lips, Kabuto reached a hand forward to caress the woman's face, causing her internal discomfort. On the outside, she remained absolutely still. "You are the most beautiful human being in the world. You remind me of the woman who I had all but forgotten." Kabuto let his hands fall back to his side. "You remind me of Mother."

Kushina let her breathing flow as she relaxed internally. "Who is 'Mother'?"

Kabuto stared into his Edo Tensei's black sclera. "She is a dream.. an identity.. I had once lost."

Kabuto leaned forward, his face hovering mere centimeters in front of her own. Kushina's immediate reaction was to move away in the opposite direction, but her hands were held in place by his, preventing her from escaping the moment. Kabuto paused - his eyes continuing to bore into those of the woman before him - before pushing his cold lips onto those of his undead servant.

Kushina reeled. A part of her told her to accept what was happening. It told her that Kabuto wasn't a bad man. That he had her best interests at heart. Another part of her mind screamed at her, flashing the image of the man who she'd loved, grating it painfully into her mind and heart. There was also the months of lies, lies which proved to her how manipulative - how utterly deceptive - this man could be. On the other hand, the same part of her mind that told her to accept Kabuto's gesture also told her that Minato was dead. What was happening wasn't a betrayal, but merely a form of moving on. But did she want to move on? Why should she look forward to anything? She was already dead. If she did this, her memories and her past happiness would be tainted. Kabuto was well aware of her situation, he had to be. She'd told him everything about herself during the long days during which she'd worked for him, still believing that her efforts were for the sake of humanity - a greater purpose. He'd lied to her then and he was telling her to trust him now. Could she really trust him?

All these thoughts collided together in her head in a jumble, and before she could completely internalize the conflict within, Kabuto backed away. "And besides, as an Uzumaki and former Jinchuuriki, your Chakra capacity is immeasurable. Add to that the fact that you are an undying Edo-Tensei with infinitely regenerating Chakra, Kushina. You are quite easily the perfect candidate to receive those eyes."

Kabuto walked over to the jar and casually placed it into one hand. "You would be able to perform techniques that would normally cost so much Chakra that it'd drain from your lifespan. Techniques which can move mountains, reshape landscape, destroy entire Hidden Villages.." The man paused for dramatic flare, a smile growing on his face. He made his way back to Kushina's side, once again letting a cold hand fall upon her cheeks. "You could even resurrect the dead."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Her preparations long completed, Konan waited on the surface, far from the room into which Kabuto had gone. A clone stood at the entrance to that room, waiting to deliver words of wrath. If they'd tried to escape in any direction, even from below, she'd know. Every area was covered. There was literally no escape, no matter how fast they ran. The snake would be buried in this cold cavern deep underground, never to be seen again. He would disappear from the face of the Earth with none to mourn him.

Konan pinched her nails into her palm and tried to draw comfort from the thought. Even if she succeeded, Nagato would still be dead, and she'd still have nowhere to go. She couldn't help but feel that she'd committed the ultimate folly when she'd tried to kidnap the belligerent boy that was Minato's son.

His name was Naruto. The boy constantly meddled in her relationship with his father, vying for his attention at every turn and making their arrangements difficult.

To no surprise, Minato chose to cater to his son's will in that regard. Naruto was on the cusp of adulthood, and the time in which the father could dote on his son was preciously short. She understood, but she resented the boy nonetheless. It was an incredible stroke of misfortune that Uzumaki Naruto was both the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-tails and Minato's son.

Konan stared grimly into the dark tunnel that was the entrance to the underground complex. If nothing happened in two more minutes, she would assume that her presence had somehow been already registered. If that were the case, she would activate the trap. It would be better to initiate things on her terms than on theirs. And if they were holing up waiting for her to leave.. Konan smiled sadistically. _They can think again_.

No matter what tricks Kabuto had up his sleeves, every orifice of the cavern down every escape path for hundreds of meters was covered in explosive seal tags. There was no escape. Her stores would be severely depleted, but with an enemy as wily as the one she faced, no amount of preparation could be considered too much. Kabuto would die and Uzumaki Kushina would disappear.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kabuto sensed the third presence the moment Kushina had entered. He'd smelled her. He could _taste_ her, and he knew exactly who she was. Of course, given time, and with the abilities she had, the Akatsuki's Konan was capable of creating traps that few could survive. She must be able to see that her Nagato was dead. Her presence was unwelcome and spelled certain death, unless he made a dash for it and escaped.

These thoughts flared through his mind as Kushina's horror unraveled at the sight of what she would probably consider a scene of atrocities.

But if he did escape, he'd be leaving the Rinnegan behind. The shame and the burden of that loss - the loss of the most powerful doujutsu in existence - would forever weigh on him. He couldn't abandon the Rinnegan. Not now that he had it in his grasps. Even if he did chose this option, there was no guarantee that he'd make it. Konan was a dangerous Kunoichi, capable of some amazing feats of power that would make Deidara green with envy. In their current state, neither he nor Kushina were a match for her. His mind whirled for a solution.

He _could_ simply implant the eyes in himself, but whatever powers it would bestow would take time - a relatively long period of time according to Orochimaru's notes on the years that Jiraiya spent in the Hidden Rain - to develop. He didn't have the same innate understanding of the doujutsu and its abilities, neither would he have some fake Uchiha Madara to teach it to him. He would have to learn it all from scratch. Great as they were, the Rinnegan would not save him. It was then that the solution came to him, presenting itself in the form of a naive, red-haired girl. As Kabuto placed his scalpel down next to the jar that contained the Rinnegan, his plan was already perfecting itself.

He had several facts at hand. First, those revived by the Edo Tensei were immortal and would constantly be revived no matter what harms they suffered.

Second, the Edo Tensei did not dispel until he personally dispelled it or until the incarnated soul achieved peace. Kushina was a long way away from peace. The turmoil that plagued her soul was one which he had ensured over the past two months.

Third, he had the Rinnegan with him, and the Rinnegan was capable of reviving the dead. There was no doubt that he was about to die now that he'd let her in and shut the doors. Konan would make sure of that, and she was nothing if not meticulous.

All these facts he knew, and as he kissed the red-haired woman, he knew he had her. Even if she did not return whatever affection she perceived from him, she would see him as someone who she needed to revive, at least to draw answers from. His words were no lie. Uzumaki Kushina was truly a beautiful human being, by most standards, but she was so easily manipulated, so naive, and so stupid, he just couldn't help himself. He had to exploit her. She was like an exquisite arrangement of dominoes. Whatever guilt he felt for her was outweighed by the sheer beauty of watching her be destroyed in every way possible.

In this, he'd finally discovered his identity. He was an artist, and people like Uzumaki Kushina were the canvas on which he would paint. And he could not have found a canvas of a higher quality even if he had tried to look. He could finally understand why he'd so appreciated the previous leader of the Akatsuki. It wasn't the man's power or his stature as leader over the powerful, but rather it was his miserable life and the path which led up to it. He'd been swallowed by it, enamored by its conclusion. He'd felt the first stirs of his calling when he'd ran his hands ever so gently across that man's cheeks. And Uzumaki Kushina was next.

Even if she didn't learn the techniques to revive him immediately, she would do so in time - as an Edo Tensei. That was a thought he had to plant in her head. She had to revive him as an Edo Tensei or else she wouldn't be able to revive him at all - which was half-true.

And then.. he would dispel her, take her Rinnegan, learn to completely control the Edo Tensei, revive her again, and use her to destroy the Hidden Leaf and kill her own husband.

It would be absolutely beautiful, and the pain she would feel.. it caused him to almost shiver in pleasure as he kissed the woman one last time.

Kushina stared back at him uncertainly from her new eyes as he told her about the assailant that he conveniently only managed to sense just then. Putting on a very practiced look of loss and sorrow, Kabuto spoke his final words. He couldn't tell her what to do. If he did, she would know that he had an ulterior motive. He had to let her revive him of her own volition when she discovered that ability. "You will live on. My soul will wait in the afterlife. I love you, Kushina."

He would escape the conflict. He would escape it alive, and he would do it without losing the Rinnegan.

 _Orochimaru-sama look! You've always wanted the Sharingan and you were never able to get it! But here.. here I've achieved the Rinnegan! The ultimate doujutsu! Orochimaru-sama! Look at how far I've come!_

These were Kabuto's last thoughts as everything around him burst into flames. His body disintegrated in the heat and impact, as millions of explosive tags blew everything within Orochimaru's hidden cavern complex into dust.

* * *

A/N

* * *

Remember those days when I used to update daily? Yeah. Those aren't coming back, but if you do, then you are awesome for having stayed with me this long. Things are converging and I'm raring to finish this fic.

Also, Winter quarter is starting, and well.. it's really the worst time for me to rediscover my interest in the Third's Will. Haha! (So funny). With that in mind, updates might drop to non-existent frequency again (Not so funny. Urk!). I'm not sure yet, but expect the worst.

See you next update! ~Mittens


	58. (8) Freedom

Disclaimer: Dundundundunnn! Dundundundunnnnnnnnnnn! Dundundundun DUNDUNDUNDUN! Dun own Naruto. Dun dundundunnnnnn! Dun dundun dunnnnn! dundundun dun... dun... d-d-d-d-d-dun!

* * *

The foundations of the land quaked heavily. Konan held herself steady on the patchy earth by sending chakra into the soles of her feet. It was done. She'd succeeded and Nagato had been avenged, so why did she feel so empty? What now?

Her cloak flapped against the cold wind. It was a symbol from times long passed - an artifact of days that she no longer seemed capable of remembering. She'd long become numb to the cold. All that was left was the rain. Her village needed a new leader, and she would gladly have taken the role if Nagato hadn't put her on the blacklist.

The people of Rain followed their God with fanatic, religious fervor. The same had been extended to her as God's Angel, but the moment he'd made her a public enemy, she'd lost everything. Any chance of her returning home was ruined - at least until the man released her official pardon, and that was never going to happen. The Rain would remain closed to her, and eventually it would find its own leader to act as temporary replacement until Nagato went back.

But Nagato was never going back, and her word held no power.

She stared up into the dark clouds which hung heavy over the night sky. _What now?_

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The destruction spread far along the underground cave complex. Tunnels collapsed and entire rooms broke down. The seals which adorned the cave walls - hundreds of hours of effort - were obliterated along with the walls on which they were inscribed, and with that, many sleepless nights of labor were lost. And at the same moment the seals were destroyed, the Jinchuuriki who'd been held comatose under the seal's influence were abruptly released.

Yagura was the first to awaken, and was saved from being crushed by a large falling boulder by the Bijuu within, who gave its form to him willingly. The massive turtle stood on its four legs, protecting the other two Jinchuuriki as its shell withstood the weight of the cavern ceiling.

Yugito came into awareness to the unexpected sight of the underside of a giant crab-like shell. Something told her that this was the three-tails Jinchuuriki. And nearby…

Yugito whipped her head down and to the side. It was Killer B. "Bee!" she cried, but received no response. The man laid on his table, remaining blissfully unconscious of the rapidly deteriorating walls around them.

She made her way over and began shaking her fellow Kumo-nin. She'd never been more glad in her life to see Killer B's eyes upon her.

B blinked slowly, as if groggy. "Yugito.. sexy as ever. See you, I thought I'd never(1)."

Yugito laughed. "That was terrible. You've sunken really low, Killer B."

The man grinned. "Sanbi! Need help?"  
" **Some help would be nice**." Yagura rumbled, the strain he was taking clear in his voice.

Without another word, the Eight-tails took shape, shoving the turtle aside. With a massive surge of power, he sent a concentrated beam of the Bijuudama upwards.

" **That was supposed to blow a hole straight into the sky.** " The Eight-tails said apologetically as it held against an increasing quantity of falling debris. " **Looks like we're much deeper underground than I'd thought."**

" **Gyuuki..** " The three-tails shoved Yagura aside, taking the reins. " **I** **haven't seen you in.. what was it? Two hundred years?** "

" **Give or take a couple decades.** " the octopus replied nonchalantly.

Underneath the eight-tails, an immense flaming cat came crawling out and proceeded to dig a tunnel upwards with its paws.

" **Matatabi!** " The three-tails cried cheerily. " **I didn't think you'd ever work with humans. What a surprise**."

" **Nah. Sanbi hates Yugito. She's got 'er on a leash yo!** "

The Three-tails cringed at the words that were coming out of the Eight-tails' mouth. To hear Gyuuki sounding anything less than his usual intelligent self.. what a terrible Jinchuuriki he had. He receded and let Yagura take control again. The Mizukage returned to his normal form, taking cover under the Eight-tails. "You should go too." He said, referring to the gaping tunnel into which the two-tails' Jinchuuriki - Yugito - had gone. "I'll follow."

" **I understand, little man. So what's your name? Tell me if you can.** "

"Yagura." The former Mizukage replied. "Can you please speak normally?"

" **Yagura! Hahaha!** " B said, ignoring the request. " **Alright kiddo. We're gettin' out of here, let's go!** " With that, he widened Yugito's tunnel with the Eight-tails' thick tentacles and proceeded to worm his way out.

"And don't call me kiddo!" Yagura called after his fellow Jinchuuriki as he followed in its wake. "I'm not a kid!"

He cringed. Memories of his interactions with Mei coming back to him in droves. Mei was dead, his village had been destroyed, and the man who'd killed her.. wherever that man was, Yagura promised to himself, he would find him, and he would make sure that the man paid for what he had done, even if it costs him his life.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

A flaming paw jutted out of the earth. It was followed almost immediately by the figure of a flaming cat of colossal proportions. The darkness of night receded from the eerie blue flames emitting from its body.

Yugito looked around, her eyes allowing her to see far into the night and her senses locked onto the signature of a woman - a shinobi by the Chakra which coursed through her body. Her far-seeing eyes zeroed in on her target. It was a blue-haired woman and on her body, the cloak of the Akatsuki flailed in the wind.

 _The Akatsuki_.. Yugito thought with resignation. It appears they'd anticipated that the Jinchuuriki could have escaped. The woman was most likely a sentry of sorts.

She watched the woman carefully as she paced toward her. No. She couldn't be a sentry. If the woman were a sentry, she would have already reported the flaming two-tailed Bijuu that'd come crawling out. Instead, the woman seemed to be staring motionlessly at the sky.

Yugito began to pace away, testing the woman's reaction, but the woman remained where she was. There was no way she wasn't aware of the giant flaming cat in the middle of the night on an empty landscape.

Either the woman was under genjutsu or..

The earth rumbled and B came soaring out in human form, followed quickly by the boy who harbored the Three-tails.

Yugito quickly turned her attention back to the woman who stood several hundred meters away, and noticed no discernible change in the woman's stance. _Odd._

Yagura looked around, an unusual tone seeming to break his voice. "This.. this was my village."

" **Where are we? And who are you?** " Yugito asked, eyes never leaving the statue-like figure of the Akatsuki-woman.

"This is the Hidden Mist. I was its Mizukage. My name is Yagura."

" **Yagura.. the ruthless leader of the Bloody Mist. The man responsible for the Civil War.. You're saying that's you?! But you're only a child!** "

"That's all in the past and though I may appear to look like one, I am no child."

Yugito's eyes turned warily to the self-proclaimed Mizukage. " **What do you plan to do now, Yagura, now that your village is gone?** "

Yagura stared defiantly up into the cat's large yellow irises. "I'm going to find the man who destroyed my village and slaughtered my people, and I'm going to kill him. What about you? Where are you from and where are you planning to go?"

" **B and I are from Kumo, which has suffered the same fate as your village. If you would have me, I would join you on your quest**."

"Bakayaro! Konoyaro!" B interrupted, causing the two other Jinchuuriki to turn to him. "Revenge is lonely and will only lead to sadness. I know. I've seen it. I'm a witness"

" **You who never treat anything seriously!** " Yugito snapped. " **You don't understand anything! I don't care what you think you know about vengeance. If the death of your village doesn't send you into hatred, then you know nothing!** "

She began walking toward the Akatsuki woman. She would have answers. That the woman happened to be here was a stroke of fortune. She would crush the woman in her jaws and make the woman lead them to the leader - the man responsible.

Suddenly, she felt something coil around her. The Eight-tails' powerful tentacles held her crushed under its might. " **Yugito yo. Not everyone is dead ya know? We should help the villagers rebuild their lives, not throwing away our own to some stupid fight. Come back with me.. to Kumo.** "

" **No! You see her too! That woman.. the Akatsuki! She is an enemy!** "

"Where?" Yagura asked.  
" **Six hundred kilometers away. I'm looking at her right now**."

Before B could even react, Yagura - the Mizukage of the Hidden Mist - was gone.

B sighed, releasing his fellow Jinchuuriki from his grip. " **Yugito... You fool.** "

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

' _Orochimaru took me at a young age. I trusted him, but he left the village, abandoning it and taking me with him. I've been working for him ever since. Him and the Akatsuki. I've never had a choice. I've been conditioned for obedience. The trials I went through.. it brings me pain to even think on them.'_

Kabuto's words echoed in her mind as her body was reformed piece by piece. It was dark and she normally wouldn't have been able to see anything, but..

Kushina let her eyes wander. Everything was crystal clear. She could see everything down to the tiniest detail in the rocks around her. Everything glowed with a sort of life - Chakra. It was everywhere, even if it wasn't in usable form. She could see it faintly even with her eyes closed.

With a grunt of effort, she pushed herself up. If her guess was correct, every tunnel for miles around were sealed off. She was alone and very very deep underground.

' _When I give you these eyes, you will most likely gain perfect eidetic memory. Comes with the eyes. I want you to memorize the Edo Tensei. You'll be able to release yourself, if you so wish.'_

Kushina thought back to the knowledge that she'd gained. Kabuto was right. She could remember every detail from the moment she'd received her eyes up to the present. The eyes have indeed given her perfect recall, something that Minato seemed to have been capable of.

She struggled, pushing aside crumbs of dirt and rock. She was lucky that she wasn't claustrophobic.

 _Minato.._ She didn't know what to think anymore, and she didn't care to try. Right now, she needed to get out. She had to be at least a kilometer underground.

With another grunt of effort, she removed yet another handful of sediment, digging away at the dirt. At the rate she was going, it'd take years to reach the surface.

She stopped, letting herself feel her surroundings. The Rinnegan allowed her to see the nature of Chakra, and she'd never been able to mould it better than she did now. If she had to guess, it was almost certain that she was now capable of manipulating all the elements. And there was more.. there was something beckoning.. something calling to her..

Kushina opened her eyes wide, the words coming to her seemingly from nowhere. "' _Gedou!"_

And then she was swallowed into a perfect darkness, one which even the Rinnegan could not penetrate.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Yagura approached his target warily. It was too bad that it wasn't raining. He would be able to sense her every proportion and exact location more easily if it was. The rain was his domain. After several moments, he finally located her signature, and almost jumped in surprise. He was almost right next to her. His immediate reaction was to attack, and in a matter of seconds, several lances of water jutted at his target.

To his surprise, the woman didn't move at all, and before he could even stop his own jutsu, the first few lances had already punctured the woman in potentially lethal areas, causing her to cough up blood.

Yagura swore. She needed to be alive. She was no good if she was dead.

He quickly cast several more lances of water, striking the woman in the arms and legs, pinning her to the earth and disabling her ability to fight back.

The satisfaction he felt as the sound of the woman's flesh being punctured flooded his entire being. Vengeance was sweet, and even if she hadn't been directly responsible, she was still a member of his organization. She was still an _enemy_ , and enemies did not deserve sympathy.

He knelt over the woman's body, and grabbed her by the scruff of her cloak's collar. "Where is your leader?"

When she didn't respond, he cuffed his hand across her face with enough force to send her head bouncing against the dirt. "The man with the Rinnegan.. _WHERE IS HE?!_ "  
Suddenly, an odd sensation suddenly came over him and before he knew what was happening, his vision clouded over into darkness.

Konan let loose a sob at the silhouette of her savior, who rolled her previous assailant off her body. "Kill me."

"Why?"

"I have nothing left." She cried, her tears finally flowing loose. "There is no reason for me to be alive."

Minato leaned forward and brushed the tears out of her cheek and could not help but notice how horrible she looked. A bruise was forming on her face, and her eyes..

"You're being melodramatic."

At that, Konan broke into laughter. Despite the spear of water that'd opened up her midriff, despite the bleeding holes in her arms and legs, and despite all the pain she felt from doing it, she laughed like her life depended on the very act. She laughed until blood came out of her throat and she continued to laugh.

"Konan." Minato said sharply, stopping the woman's bout of hysteria. "I'm taking you back to receive treatment."

"Minato." Konan's voice came out much weaker than before and she forgot the retort she was going to make. The loss of blood was making her vision swim. She couldn't care less. The sooner everything ended the better.

Suddenly, Minato turned to block a strike aimed at his head. The new assailant distanced herself, and to her surprise, was identified immediately. "Yugito was it? I remember seeing you when I was in Kumo. What are you doing?"

"Namikaze Minato." Yugito growled. "Kumo has been destroyed."

"I am aware."

"That woman is associated with the Akatsuki. She is one of our enemies and will lead us to our target. If you persist on defending her, you will be treated as an enemy."

"Nagato is dead." Konan breathed weakly.

"What?" Minato turned his attention back to the dying woman.

"He was killed.. by.." Konan stopped. She would not immortalize his name in this way. Kabuto did not deserve that. "He was killed by petty betrayal."

"Dead.." Yugito's voice filled with wonder.

"If you'd care to dig a kilometer into the earth where you stand, girl, you might even find his corpse, though I doubt that. There's nothing left. I destroyed all of it - his body, the underground tunnels-" Konan coughed, blood dribbling down the side of her face and she spoke no more.

Yugito did not respond, and Minato put a hand on Konan's shoulder. The two vanished, leaving Yugito standing over Yagura's unconscious body.

After a long moment of silence, B's voice cut through the dark. "Yugito. I'm going back to Kumo. I'm rebuilding our village, you're coming with me. Help out ol' Killer B."

Silently, Yugito took the unconscious Yagura into her arms and hefted him onto her back. "Let's go then."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The darkness opened up and the thing into which she'd been enveloped opened, allowing her to see that she had been swallowed by some kind of.. demon. The demon sunk back into the earth and vanished. Kushina looked around. She was once again in a cave.. of sorts. She was starting to hate caves. She wanted to see the Sun and the grass and the green forests which surrounded her home. She was tired of darkness. It made her depressed.

Her thoughts went immediately back to Kabuto.

What if Kabuto's final words had also been lies? It was possible. He could have fed her the belief that her son was alive, knowing that she would be trapped a kilometer underground. He probably expected her to claw her way out - which would take an almost endless amount of time. He could have done it to motivate her to keep going even when all else seemed hopeless. The idea that every move she made pushed her closer to the child she had borne was indeed a strong motivating factor that would keep her going for a long time - years even. She could easily imagine him doing it to help her cope and survive whatever ordeal she'd be placed in. Kabuto was that kind of person.

In fact, it was convenient that he only just managed to sense the intruder after he'd implanted the Rinnegan inside of her. He must've known before hand and didn't want to worry her, which resulted in him rushing the transplant procedure.

She chose a cave path and decided to follow it. Whatever happens will happen. Doubting didn't change anything. Kabuto had given her a new chance at life, and she wasn't going to waste it.

She stumbled into a large room in which some furniture could be seen. There was a table, and..

Kushina found herself staring at a corpse - a withered skeleton of some Shinobi long dead. Hovering above that corpse was a gigantic statue - which came jutting out of an even larger structure which appeared to be the roots of some unfathomably massive tree. The _Gedo Mazo_. She didn't know how she knew, only that its name came to her as instinctively as when she first uttered it.

It was the husk of some kind of creature, something that had been powerful - that was still powerful - but was only now a shadow of its former self. She wasn't quite sure what it was and she didn't care. She needed to find a way out, and to figure out where she was going to go from this point forward.

If she could indeed learn to revive the dead, the first person she would bring back would be her husband, Namikaze Minato. Of course, she'd have to release his soul from the Shinigami first. She had an idea on how to go about doing that. There was a certain mask in a certain temple somewhere in Uzushio.. that was where she needed to go after she'd confirmed that her son was indeed alive. On the way, she would try to discover all the skills that she now potentially possessed.

If the Rinnegan truly possessed the abilities that Kabuto had described to her, then what was stopping her from reviving everyone?

If Kabuto had been lying and Naruto were dead, she would revive him. She would revive Kabuto. She would revive Minato. She would revive even her parents and her village.

She was lucky to have been reborn as an Edo Tensei. Her Chakra was constantly replenished, allowing her to waste it however she liked.

The way out was through the opposite wall. She could sense the vibrant life outside - which was further augmented by her new affinity with the very nature of Chakra.

Gathering Chakra into her fists, she destroyed the wall that held her trapped. She was greeted by the cool air of the night and a breeze which brought the scent of the forest gushing into the musky cave.

The cool, open air and the sight of the trees and the night-life - all made splendidly visible by the Rinnegan - almost put her to tears. As she left the Gedo Mazo behind in its cave, she felt as if she were a prisoner who had been finally released from her prison. Her months spent in the darkness in sorrow and anguish all but forgotten.

Kushina began to laugh, and - throwing caution to the wind - she shouted out for all the forest to hear. "I'm free!"

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

So apparently I wasn't kidding when I said that I'd rediscovered my interest in the Third's Will, but seriously. Don't expect this to become normal! Definitely not going to become normal! I am a good student! I must focus on school! Must! Focus! Urk!

(1) Yoda B! :D


	59. (8) Rejection

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Disclaimer: I don't own the Naruto franchise.

* * *

The first thing that she became aware of were the sounds of an overhead fan whirling repetitively into her ears. Her head swam and she was sleepy. Everything felt like one giant pillow had been smothered over her body.

It was nice. Either she couldn't move or she didn't want to move. She couldn't tell, and before she could really figure it out, her consciousness lapsed back into the darkness from which it came - a sweet, blissful darkness, where nary a thought could bother her.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

" _Our country's still crying… still enduring all this pain. I used to hate it so much… but now I want to save it from the bottom of my heart. It's a big crybaby, like I used to be… I can't just leave it.. Konan._ "

"Konan."

She groaned. Her arms felt sore and she had an ache on her left side.

"We've taken you off the drugs so you might be hurting for a while.. you'll just have to endure it."

 _Like always._ She ignored the voice and let her eyes remain closed.

"There is one thing I want to know, Konan." The voice paused as if unsure of whether or not the person it was speaking to was awake. It continued. "I want to know if.." The source of the voice paused as if thinking carefully over its choice of words. "..if you were the one responsible.."

Konan furrowed her brows. "For what?"

"For killing Nagato."

All the memories came flooding back. Kabuto speaking to the undead Uzumaki Kushina, Nagato's eyes floating in a jar, his corpse laying blind on a table. "I-" Her voice clogged up as she choked back tears. She couldn't even understand why she cared so much. Shinobi died all the time, but Nagato.. Nagato was all she had left.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. You did a great thing, Konan, many would have died if you hadn't done what you did. For now, just rest."

"Forgive me." The words came out unbidden and heartfelt. Kidnapping his son was the worst crime she could've committed. She'd made an irremediable mistake, one which he would probably never forgive her for.

A hand smoothed over her forehead - making her forget her thoughts. It was comforting. "You still have a fever.. I'll leave you in peace."

Konan reached up to snag the retreating hand. A realization had dawned on her. She wanted this soothing presence to be with her forever.

It also appears she'd misspoken earlier. Nagato wasn't all she had left. There was something else for her to live for, and she'd never been more glad to have found it.

Despite the sluggish pain in her damaged arm, Konan raised her other hand up to hold his lightly callused hand in her own. "Stay."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Stay."

Minato stared at the hands which held his own. "Konan.."

"Stay with me. Please."

"I have a mission." He detached his hand from her grasping hands.

Trying not to feel disappointed, Konan let her arms fall back to her side. "Where are you going? When will you be back?"

"The Hidden Rain has elected a new leader who has apparently decided to follow the agenda of the previous one, and we will make an attempt at peace talks, but as of right now, war seems to remain upon us. I've been assigned as an emissary to try for a peaceful settlement before things take a turn for the worst."

"The war is still happening?" Konan tried to sit up but was held down by firm hands, hands which now felt cold and uncaring in their touch.

"You can't sit up yet. The wound to your body has yet to heal."

The woman breathed with disbelief. "But Nagato-"

"Konan.." Minato took a silent breath. "The Rain needs a new leader. One who will push for peace. If it can find such a leader, the Leaf would be willing to forgive all past transgressions and will aid the Rain in its recovery from its loss."

"This leader you speak of.. you want that to be me.."

Minato nodded.

"No." Konan turned her head away. "It's impossible. Nagato had me publicly exiled. The people will never take me back."

"How do you know?"

"Nagato was their God. They worshipped him. He decreed that I was an enemy, and so I am. I will be an enemy until Nagato repeals that decree."

Minato shook his head. "When was the last time you've spoken to any of your citizens?"

"Last time.. before I was sent away I helped train them."

"And how many of them were actually happy to follow this 'God'?"

Konan narrowed her eyes. "All of them. God provided for them and gave them happiness."

"Konan. Your society ran on propaganda and fear. That is not a formula for happiness. Most people don't want to be killed. They want to live, and when you threaten their lives for any sign of dissent, they will do their utmost to put on a front to keep up appearances - even if they were suffering.. even if their lives were miserable."

"You're not the one who lived in the Rain for thirty years. You don't know how we've _suffered_. You don't know anything!"

"Konan." Minato furrowed his eyes. "I may not have lived in the Hidden Rain for the past thirty years but I have been in your village several times these past few weeks. Your inner-city is indeed splendid - wealthy in its development and resources. Most if not all your Shinobi live by very reasonable standards."

Konan's spirits lightened slightly at the unexpected words. "So-"

"Let me finish." Minato requested gently. "Please." Konan nodded and Minato continued. "If I had to make a rough estimate, I'd say roughly half your citizens are not Shinobi."

Konan narrowed her eyes and she began to formulate a retort which died halfway in her throat.

"Militarization requires a concentration of resources into developing and aiding those who contribute to the military." Minato closed his eyes sadly as he pictured the people he'd seen, huddled under slight overhangs in the rain. "But sometimes.. sometimes a village needs more than just a military.. Konan. Those who do not work for the military - where do they earn their money? Where do they get their food? How do they make their living?"

"We have farmers.." Konan suggested.

"Konan. Only one percent of the civilians need to be farmers. What about the rest?"

"We give charity to those in need."

"Then why do I see so many poor on the outskirts of our village? What charity do you give them?"

"They get a pension. We give to them from our leftover funds."

"And how much is leftover funds are we talking about? What are these civilians getting, as individuals?"

"They.." Konan bit her tongue weakly. "They get enough."

"You and I both know that is not true." Minato stared intently at the woman with whom he had shared so much. Konan looked away, unable to meet his gaze. She was fighting a losing battle and she knew it. Most of the charity she'd done had been in specialized or specific areas. After all there was only so much to give. It eased her conscience to see a starving family be able to finally eat a good meal. What they were to eat the day or the week after she didn't dare give thought to. Resources were scarce - especially in a land where it rained so much that the arable land were swamped in water. In return, Nagato had been able to increase surveillance. Nagato said it was necessary so it was necessary.

"Konan."

The woman nearly jumped, realizing that she'd been silent for a time. She turned her head back around to look into her visitor's familiar eyes, responding automatically to her name.

"The Leaf will help you to solicit the support from your citizenry.. with minimum casualties. You're not completely wrong. There are some who truly believe the previous leader to be God. We will do our best to quell their thirst for battle, but if worst comes to worst, they will be eliminated - for the good of all other people involved."

The two lapsed into silence, and Minato waited.

"I will be merely a puppet on a throne," Konan finally said. "A puppet installed by the Hidden Leaf. That stigma will remain with me. No matter what you say, there will always be those who will be unhappy if I became leader of the Rain."

"As long as you are genuinely doing good and as long as their dissatisfaction doesn't turn to violence, the problem will pass."

"And if it does turn to violence?"

"Such an event will be dealt with in the way that it is usually dealt with.. and with tact."

Konan let the words sink in. He was probably right. She was just making excuses for herself.. excuses to let herself wallow in self-pity. Somehow or other, she'd become attached to him - the Hidden Leaf's Fourth Hokage, and something inside her told her that the longer she remained in her current condition, the more time he would be willing to spend with her. She had an innate desire to please him and for him to reciprocate her needs, even though it was becoming exceedingly clear that he did not share the same thoughts. She couldn't lose him, not after having already lost so much. "I have one simple condition."

"What condition?"

"I will let you make me the Leaf's puppet-ruler if.." She paused to stare lovingly at the former Kage. His face was the picture of beauty, and the way his blue eyes looked back inquisitively into hers sent shivers down her back. "If you promise to stay by my side.. forever."

This time it was Minato who was silent. The fact that he hadn't immediately agreed sent Konan's heart into a frenzy of fear.

She smiled weakly. "If you can be there to help me-"

"I can't do it."

The shock of the rejection sent her into silence for a few moments before she spoke again, her heart hammering painfully within her chest. "Why?"

"What you tried to do.. I can never give you that level of trust again."

"I know I made a mistake, but I promise you! You can learn to trust me again! Minato.. _please._ " She pleaded. "If you don't accept the condition, I.. I'm refusing your offer."

Minato stood from his seat.

"Don't leave me!" She reached for his arm, anything to hold him back.

A pained expression fell upon his face, making it all the more beautiful. Konan trembled as she felt a physical pain in her chest. "I see her every time I look at you that way.. I can't keep lying to myself.. to _you._ I'm sorry."

"So that's it?" Tears trailed down her cheeks. "But she's already dead. That's not fair. Even from the grave she holds you, keeping you selfishly for her own. That's.." She started to sob. "That's not fair. It's not _fair_."

Minato turned away, his back to the patient's bed. "For the sake of your village, will you do what is asked of you?"

"I love you!" Konan cried hoarsely, her vision clouded over by the tears that pooled in her eyes. "Minato. Please. I-"

"I ask again. For the sake of your village, will you do what is asked of you?"

The blonde turned with a look that made her want to shrink back. He couldn't look at her like that. He just _couldn't_. Konan swallowed a sob as several tears rapidly blinked down her face in succession. "I will."

"I'll be leaving you then. Get some rest."

Watching his back move toward the exit, Konan released a short breath as a realization hit her. "Oh." Her voice dropped venomously even as her tears continued to fall. "You had a _mission_ didn't you?"

Minato stopped at the door and gave the woman a sad look. "This was my mission."

Before she could make a reply, he was gone. Konan stared for a long while at the hospital doorway, ignoring the medic who came in to run diagnostics, and continued to stare long after the medic had gone. After several more episodes of barely contained sobbing, she put her head into her pillow and promptly fell asleep.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

A girl stood atop a slightly elevated hill, surveying the forest before her. Doing early morning work in the rain was literally the worst, and the Land of Grass was giving them bucketloads of it.

Apparently, the leaders of the smaller Hidden Villages had been inspired by the destruction of the Hidden Mist and Kumo and were now taking up arms against the remaining Five. Or so they'd been able to gather. The guy they'd captured said something about receiving 'Divine Retribution' from 'Kami-sama' for treating the smaller Hidden Villages like they weren't important. When asked further about the exact identity of this 'Kami-sama', the man had unashamedly began praising the leader of the Hidden Rain.

The Land of Grass was a massive headache, and - as the Tsuchikage's granddaughter - Kurotsuchi could not help but feel that her grandfather had been duped by the wily, old Hokage when he'd agreed to have Iwa manage the problem. Already, she could hear her grandfather's voice in her head, telling her off for disrespect. It was not disrespect if it was an objective fact. Senju Tsunade was over fifty years of age, and regardless of whatever trick she used to look otherwise, the Hokage was old and that was that! Seriously! Her grandfather was such a fogey.

"Just because everyone's younger than you are," She muttered, "Doesn't mean that they're not old."

"Talkin' to yourself again, Captain?"

Kurotsuchi wheeled around.. "I told you to stop calling me captain! You're clearly being sarcastic and if you're not going to say it in a serious way, then don't say it at all."

The man who'd interrupted her laughed loudly. "Yer such a wee little thing, Captain Kurotsuchi."

"Marechiyo Omaeda!" Kurotsuchi growled. "Do I need to remind you that it was I who spoke for you after you'd been caught for the failed kidnapping of the Nine-tailed Fox?! My grandfather was going to have you and your gang executed!"

"Of course!" The man nodded. "How could I forget! My kindhearted, loving captain saw this beautiful face of mine and couldn't resist seeing it go to waste!" Omaeda put a large hand on the girl's shoulders. "Oh my captain! Your heart is almost as large as mine!"

Kurotsuchi trembled. "Get your hands off me or you will regret it."

Omaeda pounded the girl on the back before backing away. "Yes captain!"

"I-" Kurotsuchi's lips quivered, but she managed not to cry. She knew that Omaeda was mostly harmless, but sometimes he could be such a bully. He was a large, imposing man after all. Hadn't he ever been taught that bullying was bad? "I assume you have something to report to me?"

"Ah. Uh. Yes." Omaeda rubbed the bald spot on his head. "My squad sighted a woman."

"And why should I care?" Kurotsuchi said with a pout, still feeling injured from the completely disrespectful treatment she was receiving from her underling. This was not how one treats the Tsuchikage's granddaughter!

"Well you see.. she's got all these cracks on her face and well.." his voice dropped to a whisper. "She looks like a zombie."

"Is she hostile?"

"We don't know. She's not really doing anything, just walking around. She seems a bit lost."

"You haven't talked to her or anything?"

"No. We've kept our distance.. even then, it's like she can see us even with her eyes closed." Omaeda shivered. "Scary."

"She might be a sensor-nin." Kurotsuchi nodded her approval. "I'm glad you didn't say anything to her. You would've botched up communications anyway with your big, fat mouth. Send a couple of your men to alert my father of the intruder and that we are initiating contact with her."

"You mean.." Omaeda pointed at himself then at his captain.

Kurotsuchi rolled her eyes. "Yes. You're taking me to this woman. Hurry it up!

"Yes Captain!" As they walked, Omaeda turned a quick glance at his leader. The girl's arms were crossed, and there was that look of faint distaste on her face. She was only fifteen and already she was appointed as head of an entire squadron of Ninja. To be a Jounin at that age, what a prodigy she must be... but _geez_ , what an attitude she has. Omaeda scratched his head. "Captain.. are you mad?"

"..."

"Oy. Captain?"

"Gah! Yes I'm mad!" Kurotsuchi cried. "And I'm not your captain!"

Omaeda grinned. "Whatever you say, Captain!"

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The mud around her began to bend under pressure, but nothing else seemed to happen, and before she knew it, the technique had ended. She'd felt the strain on her body too. Not only did the technique push against objects around her, it also produced a counteractive force on herself and if she was not careful, she could be vaulting herself against the trees which would only serve to further damage her already damaged body.

Kushina closed her eyes, gathering another pulse of Chakra. If she concentrated and watched her Chakra while she performed the technique.. instinctively, the words came to her again. "'Shinra Tensei!'"

A small dent appeared on the ground below her feet. Kushina sighed. The technique required a near insurmountable level of control and balance.

 _This is impossible._ Distantly, she saw the blobs of several Chakra signatures approaching. It was the same one from before, but this time it had an accomplice - a much more accomplished Shinobi by the looks of the Chakra which ran through her coils. They stopped at a nearby tree. Taking the initiative, the redhead turned her head up - making sure to keep her eyes closed - and piped up in greeting. "Hi! I don't think we've met! Who are you?"

Omaeda blanched. "I told you! She's scary!"

"Shush! I've already told you that she's a sensor! Idiot!" Kurotsuchi whispered.

"Could you give me some directions?" The woman called out.

"Directions to where?" Kurotsuchi replied

"The Hidden Leaf. That's where I'm from! Where are you from?"

"We're from Iwa." Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "If you're from the Leaf, where's your headband?"

Iwa.. Kushina thought carefully. Last she remembered, Iwa held Konoha in great contempt, especially after the stunt Minato had pulled against them. However, it was all in the past. Maybe their enmity had long passed. "What year is it?"

"What year is it?!" Kurotsuchi repeated. "That's a really weird question to be asking. It's the year 116. What've you been doing, hibernating in a cave all this time?"

"Well.." The woman seemed to pause in consideration. "Only part of the time."

"So you're saying that you're someone who happens to have no headband but who is obviously a sensor-nin. You're claiming to be lost, telling me that you've been hibernating in a cave for some time to make up for being stupid, and you're only just asking for directions. You also have these cracks on your face that look suspiciously like part of a badly performed Henge." Kurotsuchi noted, adding the last part as an afterthought.

"Oh.." Kushina reached a hand to her face to trace the jagged lines that ran through it. "These cracks they're.. a part of me. And I'm not a sensor. If you could help me find my way home, I'd be very happy."

"You do know that we have very reasonable grounds to believe that you are an enemy spy right?"

"A spy for the Leaf?"

"No! The Leaf is our ally! A spy from Kusa.. I can't tell if you're pretending to be stupid or if you really have been hiding in a cave for the past ten years."

"Actually.." Kushina laughed sheepishly. "I've been dead for thirteen years."

"I knew it!" Omaeda yelled, pointing at the undead woman. "She's a zombie!"

The large man stopped mid-sentence as the girl next to him pushed his face against the trunk of the tree on which they stood despite her relatively smaller size. She couldn't stand it anymore. "You idiot! She's obviously blatantly lying and being cheeky about it!"

Kushina tilted her head questioningly at the accusation.

"Uhh." Omaeda bumbled, his face flat against the tree trunk. "Cap'n?"

She released the man. "Capture her."

"Yes sir! Captain Kurotsuchi!

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kurotsuchi watched as the red-haired woman dodged her underling's blows. Although Omaeda was large, he was relatively fast, but somehow, the woman was able to dodge every move. Moments later, the man received a blow to the stomach which sent him flying into a tree.

Kurotsuchi frowned in thought. "You're quite powerful for a mere sensor."

"I'm not your enemy."

"So it appears." Kurotsuchi nodded. Omaeda had been a test. If the woman had tried to kill or seriously injure him, it would be clear that she was an enemy. However, the woman fought evasively, dealing a blow which would leave no lasting damage, at least not on Omaeda's resilient stomach.

"Come with me. I'll take you to see my father. He might be able to make some arrangements to lead you to where you're trying to go."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kitsuchi looked from his daughter to the woman who the girl had allowed to walk in freely to his tent.

"Kurotsuchi. You're a jonin now. You can make these decisions yourself. You don't need me for every judgment call.

"Yes, dad." Kurotsuchi replied.

"Well, I'm glad you still put stock in your old father's expertise." The man said almost sarcastically and turned to their guest. "An Edo Tensei you say?"

The redhead nodded, and the man put his hand to his chin in thought. "Well. I've heard that those revived with the Edo Tensei have no personalities. Can you explain that to me?"

The woman shook her head.

"They also have black eyes, but your eyes are always closed. Do you mind sharing that with us?"

Kushina smiled apologetically. "I'm afraid that might cause some trouble."

"Ah hmm. Well in that case." With great speed, the man flashed through several hand seals, causing a large spike of rock to suddenly jut out of the earth, puncturing his guest in the midriff. The spike retreated and returned back into the earth.

Kurotsuchi stared into the gap that had been made and almost gasped in surprise as pieces of paper-like substance gathered to fill it. Not a single drop of blood was lost in the exchange.

Kitsuchi chuckled. "Edo Tensei indeed. Who was the one who performed that jutsu on you?"

"Yakushi Kabuto."

"Hmm. Never heard of him. I can give you a map, some landmarks, directions and a temporary escort, but you'll have to manage the rest on your own."

"I understand. Is there anything I can do for you in return?"

"Well. Some information about yourself would be nice. Who are you, where are you from and how did you end up in the middle of Kusa's forest?"

"Oh. I'm Uzumaki Kushina. Pleased to meet you." The woman extended a hand forward which the man promptly shook.

"I was born in Uzushio but later migrated to the Hidden Leaf after my village was destroyed. Uhm. I'm not really sure how I ended up in Kusa. I was in the Hidden Mist up until this morning."

Kitsuchi pinched his beard. "A teleportation jutsu?"

"I think so. I'm not really sure how I did it."

"Alright. Uzumaki Kushina. It's been a slow day and it seems the Shinobi of Kusa don't have the guts to show their faces." He looked to his daughter. "Kurotsuchi will personally escort you to the edge of this forest. If there's anything you would like to know about the years you've claimed to have missed, she would probably be of assistance. Her underling, Marechiyo Omaeda, will also be there to provide you with instructions to the Hidden Leaf - since he's been there several times in the past. Anything else?"

"I have some questions."

"Please ask."

"How did the Leaf and Iwa get on good terms again.. last I checked.."

"I wouldn't say that we are on good terms." Kitsuchi explained. "We're allies, but that's because old Onoki had to make amends. We received news that the Yellow Flash was alive and a faction from the council decided that it'd be a good idea to try to assassinate him."

"W-what? The Yellow Flash?"

"Yeah. Namikaze Minato. That mass-murdering monster." Kitsuchi continued, as if unaware of the shock he was producing. "I don't really know the details. You'll have to ask him yourself when you get back to your village."

"And his son!" Kushina asked eagerly. "Is his son alive?!

Kurotsuchi scoffed, muttering under her breath. "You'd think she was related to them."

"Kurotsuchi!" Yelled her father. "Keep your comments to yourself!"

Kurotsuchi crossed her arms and looked away. "Yes father."

"Now where was I?" Kitsuchi pinched at his beard. "Ah. Yes. His son is alive, as far as I am aware. We tried to kidnap the boy just in case the assassination failed. We even received help from the Akatsuki.. although you wouldn't know what the Akatsuki is would you - having been dead for thirteen years?"

"No. I wouldn't.. so did you succeed in kidnapping him?"

"Well.. no. I believe the boy came out of the ordeal completely unharmed." A look of distaste formed on Kitsuchi's face. "As far as we know, he's still in the Hidden Leaf.. living happily with his father."

The way the woman's countenance lit up at the news was hard to miss and set Kitsuchi's mind whirling. Before he could pinpoint whatever conclusion he was about to draw, the woman interrupted his thoughts. "Thank you for your assistance and for taking the time to tell me about my village!" Kushina bowed. "I am grateful. If there's anything I can do-"

"No. The pleasure was mine. I wasn't doing anything anyway. Patrolling, writing and receiving reports, reviewing plans and waiting for commands from our head commander. Boring stuff." The man turned to his daughter and motioned toward the exit. "Kurotsuchi."

The girl nodded and began to leave the tent. "Let's go then."

Kushina gave one more bow and followed her guide out.

Kitsuchi pinched his beard. _Uzumaki Kushina_. _Sounds familiar.. wasn't that the name of the girl who married the Yellow Flash?_ He frowned. Just the thought of that man made him angry. If things had gone his way, that pact with the Leaf would never have happened. Councilwoman Sanaki had the right mindset. Onoki on the other hand was getting old. Still.. despite his personal feelings, he understood his father's decision and if the old man said that they were allies Leaf, then by all that they held dear, Iwa and Konoha were allies.

It was a pity. That redheaded woman would've been quite beautiful if it weren't for the cracks which ran through her skin, marring whatever beauty she'd possessed in life. She was of such agreeable disposition too.. a pity that she had to have been married to that monster.

 _What a pity._

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kurotsuchi exited the tent to the sight of an unhappy Marechiyo Omaeda.

"What're you doing you? Have you been eavesdropping?"

The man rubbed his stomach. "Captain. Are you sure we can trust her?"

"Yes." Kurotsuchi replied. "In fact, we're escorting her out of the forest and _you're_ giving her directions to the Hidden Leaf. _Accurate_ directions."

"If you could just direct me to the outskirts of the Land of Fire, actually, I believe I'd be able to find my way." Kushina bowed. "I'm in your hands."

Omaeda's face went red and he subconsciously began to rub his bald spot. "Uh. Yeah. I can tell ya how to get there from here. With a map. We have a map, right?"

Kurotsuchi reached into her pouch and pulled out a map. "Take this one."

"Ah now we're set." Omaeda moved toward the red-head as he spread the map in his hands. "You see these little arrows? Those are mountains. We don't have a lot of those in these parts, but the major ones are marked and bolded. You see this blue line right here? That's a river."

"Omaeda! You're a total klutz!" Kurotsuchi snatched the map. "If we're only helping her get to the borders, then I can give her the directions instead."

The girl leaped onto a nearby branch and beckoned below. "Come on, I'll explain on the way."

"Ok!" Kushina called and hopped up to the same branch. "Kurotsuchi was it? I'm glad to receive your assistance."

"Don't mention it.. _Omaeda! What are you doing?! We're waiting on you!_ "

"Maybe you hurt his feelings?" Kushina suggested.

"Nah. He'll be alright. If he's not able to even stomach _that_ ," Kurotsuchi waved the map around. "I wouldn't have made him my lieutenant."

Below, the large man rubbed his head and called back. "They _did_ remake the map standards four years ago! The mountains used to be round and the river lines used to be yellow!"

" _I. Don't. Care!"_

* * *

A/N-

* * *

Mittens out for another night as he tries to recover from the abrupt fanfiction fever that he somehow managed to pick up. These last few days have been especially bad. I mean.. come on! It isn't even the right season for it! Why the heck do I have fanfiction fever?!

* * *

 **Omake - The End of the Line Part 1**

* * *

"I poisoned the donor beforehand." Kabuto said with a wicked smile.

Nagato spasmed in place, struggling to combat the poison.

"Your muscles should be atrophying and you should-"

Nagato roared, interrupting the snake-man's gloating.

Before Kabuto could react, a crushing power broke everything in the vicinity. The jar that was supposed to be used to preserve the Rinnegan splintered into pieces.

Kabuto's eyes widened. "Impossible!" Even as he uttered those words, his body was plunged into the cavern floor. Around him, every equipment shattered. The body of the limbless donor - without Chakra to help withstand the pressure - was crushed. Every table and every surface flattened into the ground, the metal material screeching under the weight of an unimaginable power.

Nagato's voice reverberated off every wall. Even Kushina, who was making her way to Kabuto's lab to seek solace - felt the same overwhelming force that her summoner was being subjected to.

Kabuto grit his teeth, only his Chakra and his regenerative abilities giving his body the power to withstand the nigh unstoppable power which pressed against him. Before long, he was giving his own roar of effort as he held on to the best of his abilities.

"BANBUTSU SOUZOU!" Nagato screamed. Hundreds of black metal rods loomed and thundered down on everything in the room, excluding the jutsu's caster.

The moment the first rod pierced Kabuto's back was the moment he'd lost. His chakra went awry and with it, his resistance to the impossible gravity.

He was squashed like a bug.

The entire cavern complex collapsed. Nothing survived, and Nagato breathed his final breath. Even if the poison didn't overtake him, he'd used several lifetimes worth of Chakra in that one outburst. "Konan.."

Several kilometers outside, Konan stopped mid-flight as she was suddenly brought into a metaphysical realm by the ring on her finger. "Nagato. You're finally talking to me again I-"

"Goodbye. Konan. I'm sorry. For everything I put you through."

"Wait. What? Nagato?" She looked carefully at the shadow of the figure of her childhood friend. "What do you mean goodbye? We haven't made up yet. Yahiko's dreams haven't come true. The Rain needs you. I need you. Don't you dare do this to me. Nagato! Not you too. You can't die. NAGATO!"

Her words fell on empty ears as she was pulled back into reality. Nagato was already dead.


	60. (8) Game

Disclaimer: The Naruto franchise is not on my list of properties.

* * *

Minato stared into his wife's face.

Whenever he tried to not think about her, his mind would do the exact opposite. It would bring her image to the forefront of his mind. Every moment they had together would spear him full of bittersweet memories.

It was one of the few moments in which he both cursed and cherished his unnatural recall ability. He would never forget her, but in that same strain, he would never be able to let her go.

Putting the photo down, Minato moved to his bedroom and fell gracelessly into the sheets. To no surprise, he began to feel a presence by his side - a presence he knew was _not_ there because _damnit_ he was the best sensor-nin of his generation and there was _nothing_ there.

Minato turned his head, staring at the empty space next to him. He wanted to move on, to stop feeling the phantoms of Uzumaki Kushina provoking him at every turn.

Minato put a forearm over his eyes, blocking the light which filtered through the curtains of his bedroom window and the presence returned.

He had tried with Konan. He'd really tried, but he just couldn't seem to make it work.

Even when they were together, he could only see her as Kushina's replacement.

No matter how much he'd deluded himself, he simply could not move on.. not from the girl who'd first captivated him - the woman he'd married: the one for whom he would sacrifice his life to give even just a few extra minutes of happiness.

For the first time in his life, Minato truly empathized with Tsunade, and with that empathy came a harsh fact. Jiraiya would never obtain the woman's heart.

In fact Jiraiya probably knew that all his efforts at wooing her were fruitless. Nonetheless, the man never stopped trying. It was just part of what made Jiraiya the Sannin the man he was today - a powerful Shinobi with no special hidden skills, bloodline limit, artificial enhancements or any of the usual factors which made some Shinobi stronger than others. Jiraiya was a normal man with nearly impossible aspirations who worked harder than anyone else to get to where he was. Minato let his mind wander. If he had his facts correct, Jiraiya had been chasing Tsunade for over thirty years.

If it were anyone else, he would think they were psychologically or emotionally impaired. But this was _Jiraiya_ \- one of the three legendary Sannin. He was simply one of the most unflappable men in the world and Minato could not help but feel saddened by that fact as he mulled over his epiphany.

Tsunade was one of the very few goals that Jiraiya would never reach, no matter how hard the man tried.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"I've probably been rejected hundreds of times. I can understand how you're feeling."

The woman continued to stare up into the ceiling, ignoring the man who sat next to her.

"It's not the end of the world you know."

The woman continued to ignore him.

He frowned. _God she's acting like a girl half her age._ "You must've been really attached to him." He waited for a response, but none were forthcoming. He decided to continue. "I've had my heart broken a couple times. The first time is always the worst. It's the one that never leaves you."

"Jiraiya-sensei."

"What is it?" Jiraiya smiled. That the woman was talking signified progress.

"You don't understand. He was the last I had to hold onto and now.. now I have nothing."

"Nonsense! Even if things seem pretty bleak now, no matter where you are in life, you will always be able to find someone or something worth holding on to."

"I don't know." The woman frowned stubbornly.

"You could also consider the fact that even if he's rejected you now, it doesn't necessarily mean that he'll reject you in the future. You could try again in a month, a year.. maybe more. He'll eventually be able to look past what you did, if you're persistent enough. I'm sure of it."

"Is that what you think?" The woman turned an accusatory look. "You've been chasing the same woman for over thirty years."

"That's right. Me and Tsunade.. our story is almost a romantic tragedy." Jiraiya laughed. "But you have to understand, happiness comes in many forms. Who says I can't be happy without her? Who says I can't have something or someone else to hold onto.. even if the one I love doesn't love me back? No matter what happens to you, as long as you are alive, you will still have to wake up the next morning. You have to keep going."

"As long as I am alive.." Konan mused.

"Bad choice of words." Jiraiya muttered. "Look, either you forget him or you don't, but you should not let that stop you from trying to find happiness.. in other venues if necessary. Trust me. As long as you are alive, you will always be able to find people willing to help you do that, people who care about your well-being."

"People like you?"

Jiraiya nodded. "People like me."

"Jiraiya-sensei.." A feeling of gratitude coursing through her, the woman wiped the sleeves of her hospital gown across her eyes and smiled. "Thank you."

"I'm glad to be seeing you smile again, Konan." Jiraiya grinned cheerfully. "Anyway, while I'm here, is there anything you'd like to talk to me about?"

Konan shook her head and was silent for a moment. Taking the silence as a no, Jiraiya started to say something when she spoke. "I'll be returning home in two weeks. I won't be able to see you for a long time.. nor will I be seeing.." she paused "- _him_."

"That's not strictly true. Once you become Kage, I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other more often than you think. Even if we don't, you can always send a message. I'll come visit. I'll even bring Minato along." Jiraiya laughed.

"No." Konan looked away. "I don't want to see him."

"Are you sure?"

The woman nodded.

"Hmm." Jiraiya paused in thought. "There is going to be another Kage Summit after you take up the position. You _will_ see him there. That's unavoidable.. but.." Jiraiya scratched his head. "Even if things are never the same for you, I hope you two can eventually learn to get along again. You can, can't you?"

Konan laid silently, returning her eyes back to the ceiling.

"At least as friends?" Jiraiya grimaced at his own suggestion. Friendship between two people was a bond that is oftentimes difficult - even impossible - to achieve after they had already approached and lost a certain level of intimacy.. the level of intimacy that Minato and Konan had just been able to reach. It was something that the Toad Sage was incredibly familiar with. If the two didn't form a romantic relationship, then they would probably never speak to each other again outside of any formal capacity. At least, that seemed to be the direction things were heading.

Konan gave her mentor a sad look. "I don't know."

"Yeah. You can never know. The best that you can do is to try." Jiraiya said seriously. "I know taking down Nagato must've been hard for you, but you did the right thing."

The woman looked away, glaring back at the ceiling. Jiraiya sighed. Maybe he brought up the subject too early.

"Sensei.."

Jiraiya looked up. "Hm?"

"I'd like some time to think about this." The woman replied. "I'd like to have some time alone now."

"Alright." Jiraiya replied and stood. "They're releasing you from the hospital later today, is that correct?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"If you need somewhere to stay before you return to Rain, I'll have my guest room set up and ready to receive you."

"I understand." Konan smiled. "I'll be there later tonight. Thank you, sensei."

Jiraiya nodded. After saying his farewell, he left the hospital room, a resolve formulating in his mind. Minato and Konan were going were going to become a couple. He'd do his utmost to make that happen. Odds were they would never find another partner that would understand them better than they could understand each other. They had such strong commonalities. He could not see a more perfect pair.

They deserved to be happy together.

Jiraiya grinned. _If they aren't a couple by the end of this year, then I no longer deserve the title: 'Master of Romance.'_

As these thoughts flit through his mind, he arrived at his destination. Fixing his coat, he knocked politely on the door and waited.

After several seconds the door was opened accompanied by a greeting. "Jiraiya-sensei! Please come in. I'll have tea ready for you in a few moments."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Sasuke! Come back!" Naruto screamed, charging headlong toward the enemy's territory. "Stop running!"

"You'll have to catch me, _dobe!_ " Sasuke called back with a cackle. He could almost understand why Naruto did it now.. being a trickster.

Naruto grit his teeth. "COME BACK HERE YOU TRAITOR!"

Sasuke stuck out his tongue, racing past several confused civilians. The fun part of Ninja Flag Capture was that there were no strict rules except the logistical ones and the ones prohibiting permanent mutilation or death. Sasuke hefted the flag into his other hand. Naruto's strategy was brilliant, winning his team the game the last time they had played. In fact, it was so brilliant that he couldn't pass up using it himself. Being the only Genin other than Naruto with enough Chakra to make one shadow clone, he'd sent a copy into the enemy camp at the start of the match.

Not only had he been privy to the location of the enemy team's flag, he had also been trusted as the one to hide it and to act as one of its perimeter guards.

Behind, he could hear Naruto shouting with outrage. "YOU STOLE MY IDEA!"

"That's what you get for having a big mouth and for bragging all the time, _dobe_!" He yelled back.

Suddenly, a genin sprung into the air in front of him. Kiba snarled as Sasuke deflected his fist. "So you were a traitor the whole time, huh Sasuke?"

Sasuke smirked. He'd already memorized the positions of the enemy team's units. He'd predicted Kiba to be the first of the defenders to reach him and he was right. He ducked forward under Kiba's swinging arms just as a massive white dog pounced from underneath him, dodging both. As he passed under Kiba's arms, he jammed his fists forcefully against a sensitive area. Kiba screeched and dropped in pain.

Akamaru, the giant white dog, turned around just in time to see his master being rolled off the rooftop. Stuck between choosing the game and saving his master, Akamaru leapt to stop his master's fall.

Naruto arrived a second later still shouting in his loud voice."SASUKE! COME FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN YOU COWARD!"

Akamaru winced, his sensitive ears magnifying the sound in his head as he plopped a very humiliated Kiba back onto the rooftop.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

As Sasuke approached an Akimichi warehouse, he managed to deflect several kunai with projectiles of his own. "Oy. Tenten. What are you doing? I'm on your team."

The kunoichi jumped out of her hiding spot. "Oh really? Why are you carrying our team's flag then?"

"I've recaptured it and I'm taking it back." Sasuke explained, his Sharingan spinning as he cast a quick genjutsu on the older girl. "Naruto's betrayed us.. again. He's right behind me trying to get the flag back."

"Oh." Tenten nodded, not questioning the fact that Sasuke was running in the wrong direction. "I'll deal with him then. That deadlast! Who does he think we are?!"

Sasuke smiled and leapt away. Behind, he could hear Naruto arguing with Tenten. Suddenly, he felt something tackle him from behind and was pulled onto the grassy carpet that marked the boundary between the teams. His arms and legs were instantly bound in some red rope-like substance.

The girl responsible for bringing him down smiled at him with a creepy, close-eyed smile and flashed him a thumbs up. "You did a good job, but I'll have to stop you here!"

Sasuke frowned as he began to feel a mixture of shame and disgust for letting himself be taken down by the new girl. Her strategy had been obvious in hindsight. While most of the defenders had confronted him immediately, she had let him move past her position before snagging him from the air.

He couldn't believe he'd been so careless. How he hadn't spotted her ahead of time was beyond him. She wasn't even a registered genin yet.

Sasuke looked around for the teammates that were supposed to have met him here.

The girl continued to smile - eyes closed - as she seemed to stare into his eyes. It was infuriating. He couldn't even cast a Genjutsu on her.

"Are you looking for your teammates?" The girl asked rhetorically. "I took care of them."

Sasuke gaped. "Even Rock Lee?!"

The girl smiled, ignoring the question and picked up the flag that he'd worked so hard to retrieve.

A few seconds later, Naruto arrived with Tenten and Kiba.

"Good work Maki-chan!" Naruto cheered. "For a newbie, you're actually pretty good. Sasuke's like one of the hardest people to catch!"

"Thanks! Naruto-kun! Let's head into enemy territory and do some espionage."

Naruto nodded and the two departed from the scene.

Tenten patted Kiba's back. "I leave our prisoner to you. I'm taking the flag back."

"No problem!" Kiba said with a grin. "The prisoner's in good hands!"

Tenten took the flag and raced back in the direction from which she came. After a brief moment of pause, only two people remained on the grass of the training ground.

Sasuke stared fearfully at Kiba, hoping to catch the boy's eyes. Much to his disappointment, the Inuzuka's eyes were shut. Instead, Kiba allowed his sense of smell to direct him.

"Ha! I bet you're trying to use your Sharingan on me. Well guess what?! You can't!" Kiba's grin widened. "I've always wanted to knock you down one or two pegs, Mr. 'Number One Rookie'." The Inuzuka laughed, sending chills down his prisoner's spine.

"Kiba! You remember the rules right? No fatal or permanent injuries?" The approaching Inuzuka's already manic grin became positively feral. Sasuke struggled to no avail. _Fuck. Fuck._ _Fuck!_ _Fuck!_ _Fuck!_

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The Hyuuga's cherished prodigy - Neji - frowned as he looked around the area. The riverbank was clear of any invaders. "Lee!" He called.

An instantaneous flash of green zipped into the scene. "Did you see anything! Neji!"

Neji shook his head. "It looks like that Maki girl gave us a false alarm. I don't even see any evidence that could have made her think that the enemy were here."

"So.. you think she's from the other side?"

"Yeah." Neji turned purposefully. "I have a feeling something bad is happening. Who's guarding the flag?

"I believe that would be your cousin! Neji!."

 _Hinata._ Neji sighed. "Lee. I have a very important mission for you." The boy in green spandex snapped to attention and Neji continued. "Go to the place where the enemy will need to place our flag in order to win. If they get there, stop them from doing it at all costs."

 _That's really deep in enemy territory_. Lee's eyes widened. There were only two such locations. One was on top of the Third's head on the Hokage Mountain. The other was at the main gate of Konoha itself. "Right away. Good luck! Neji!"

The two separated from the scene, Neji toward the flag and Lee toward the Hokage Mountain.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Naruto-kun.. I always knew this day would come when I would face you. Although you were the one who has always inspired me, I will not let you pass! I will show you what you have always shown the world and what you have always shown me. My resolve will not falter! Even if my opponent is you. I will accomplish my task!" Her speech halfway finished, Hinata fell into stance. "I may not be as powerful as Neji, and I know you've beaten him in the Chuunin exams. It doesn't matter. I will do everything in my power to stop whoever comes through this path, even if you, Naruto-kun, are the one who I have to face!"

"Hinata." Naruto rubbed his head sheepishly.

"What is it, Naruto-kun. Will you challenge me?"

"Well no, it's.."

Hinata's eyes widened and she turned on her Byakugan just in time to see a red-haired girl flash her an oddly familiar and very cheeky grin. The girl flew over Hinata with the flag in her hands. "Come on! Let's go!" The girl yelled.

Naruto made to leave, turning to give his last words to the flabbergasted Hyuuga girl. "You know, if you want me to fight you, I'm perfectly OK with doing that after. I know you're very strong, Hinata, and I'll let you prove that to me yourself! Believe it!"

With that, he departed, following in the wake of his partner in crime.

Hinata continued to stare with shock at the flag stand. She'd failed. She'd been so caught up thinking about her fight with Naruto that she'd forgotten that he might have come with an accomplice. Wanting to conserve Chakra, she had kept her Byakugan shut - saving it for actual confrontations.

Later, when Neji arrived, all she could do was apologize for her failure.

"Why did you not chase them?" Neji asked.

Hinata shook her head, staring down at the ground.

Neji sighed. He could count at least four different mistakes that his cousin had made, but there was no point lecturing her about it now. "I hope it's not too late. Follow me. We have to do everything we can to catch them."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

They arrived at the foot of the mountain to see Lee stretching his legs in a show of incredible flexibility. Either they were too late, or they were early.

As they moved closer, Neji's Byakugan managed to pick up two figures on the top of the Hokage monument in addition to the sight of their flag stabbed into the pre-arranged pedestal.

Hinata quivered as she began to internally blame herself for the loss. Neji turned off his Byakugan and his vision of Lee, Naruto, and Maki were suddenly lost.

When they finally entered into Lee's range of vision, the boy leapt up, smiling his usual million-watt smile. "A most youthful pair they were! We have lost! Now, Neji! Let us give the victors time to celebrate their achievement and the power of their youth!"

Hinata flushed. "What do you mean let them celebrate the power of their youth?"

"It is Springtime, Hinata-san! It is the time when youth flowers!"

"W-what?"

Lee threw out his fist with a thumb pointing up, and winked. "Let us not disturb the flowering of their youth!"

"B-but-"

"Hinata." Neji took hold of his cousin's shoulder. "Let's go. We need to tell the others. If you're worried about the loss, there's always the match we'll be having next month. We'll win for sure."

"But Neji-niisama-"

"Yes Neji!" Lee cried. "Never give up! Such is the creed of youth! As long as we are in our Springtime of youth, anything is possible. Youth cannot be trodden!"

Neji pulled stubbornly at Hinata who tried to pull away with equally stubborn force. "If I have to listen to him for another minute, I'm going to bash my head against a wall so that I don't have to hear him going on about 'youth' this and 'youth' that. And you're coming with me."

"But Naruto.. flowering.. youth.. another girl."

Neji groaned as he watched his cousin manage to look shy and embarrassed while giving off an aura of envy at the same time.

"Yes! Hinata-san! Girlhood is the Springtime of-"

Hinata did not hear any more as Neji promptly pulled her over his shoulder like a sack of rice and ran from Rock Lee as fast as his legs and Chakra could take him.

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

Hey my lovelies!~ I've been writing and editing all night (it's 6:26 A.M.) Time to go to bedsies because No Coffee and No Sleep make Mittens go Crazy.

* * *

 **Omake - The End of the Line (Part 2)**

* * *

It'd taken her a long time, but she was finally able to dig herself out from her underground prison. Tears sprung from her eyes at the sight of the open sky. One handful of dirt at a time, she had moved her way upwards against gravity, hoping against all hope that the next few inches would be the last few she needed to escape.

Kabuto had died a long time ago, along with the Sage. One moment she could sense her friend, the next he was gone and the entire cavern collapsed - Sage of Six Paths and Kabuto no doubt crushed inside it. None had survived, none but she who was never alive in the first place - a mere Edo Tensei.

Her memories were filled with dirt. Dirt. Hours of dirt. Days of dirt. Weeks. Months, maybe even years. Of dirt. Nothing but dirt. How much time had passed? She couldn't tell. She'd long lost track of time in that cruel darkness. Only the thought of making one last attempt to save her son from the Ten-tails kept her going. It was everything to her and she would save him no matter what. Naruto would not be a slave to the Ten-tails.

Outside, a villager of the newly built Hidden Mist jumped back and screamed as an arm jutted out of the earth. The arm flapped around and was followed briefly by the figure of an extremely dirty but otherwise normal-seeming woman. The woman had so much dirt on her, in fact, there were layers of it leaving cracks on her face.

The woman looked at the villager and the surrounding village seemingly in shock. "Where am I?"

The villager gulped and replied. "You're in the Hidden Mist, miss. We rebuilt it after the leader of the Hidden Rain had destroyed it two years ago, but that's all in the past. That killer is long gone now, and we have no idea where he went."

The woman did not move or respond, and the villager began to get nervous and started to back away. "Uh listen. There's a boat heading out to the mainland near the docks.. to the Hidden Leaf. Maybe that's where you're trying to go, eh? Not the Hidden Mist?"

"They.. they _lied_ to me." The woman stumbled, as if losing her balance, words coming from under her breath. "They _lied to me!"_

"Uh.. ok. I swear I'm not lying to you. Ask any of the other villagers. That boat leaves this afternoon, if you run you might still make it. Uhmm. Bye." The villager took one last look at the crazed-looking woman and ran.


	61. (8) Broken

Disclaimer: I have never owned an anime/manga franchise in my life, nor will I ever.

* * *

Konan literally flew through Konoha's forests as she made her way back to her home. Behind her, Obito followed along.. _probably because he doesn't trust me_.

Her nails dug into her palm. She hated him. She hated Obito with every fiber of her being, but for the sake of her village, she could not harm him no matter how much she wanted to do so. For some reason - Obito had been pardoned for everything he had done. All his horrible crimes. The man had literally killed thousands of people, created the bloodiest civil war in the history of the Hidden Mist and even killed Minato's _wife_.

And even so, Obito had been _pardoned_. Nagato on the other hand, had been a target that had to be killed.

The skin under her palm broke and blood began to seep from the wounds. The Hidden Leaf was full of contradictory and soft-hearted idiots. Namikaze Minato was the biggest contradictory idiot of them all, and there was nothing she could do about it. She could only comply.

It seems regardless of a person's crimes, the Leaf was willing to provide a pardon if the criminal had a voucher and was willing to work to the village's advantage. It was not an illogical approach. However..

"What are you thinking, Konan?"

"Nothing for you to worry about, _Obito_." she replied.

"Oh really? Let's hear it."

Konan stopped. It was as good a time as any to set up camp for the night. As she unsealed the gear, she turned to Obito, who remained perched on a branch, his Sharingan glowing in the near-dark. "Have you ever asked yourself why the Leaf pardoned you?"

Obito smirked. "Obviously it's because Minato-sensei has emotional attachments to me. There's also the fact that I'm willing to do what is necessary to protect the village."

Konan laughed wryly. "Why the change of heart?"

With one wave of his hand, Obito conjured several large blocks of wood. With another, he sliced the wood apart with a cutting wind technique. Finally, he cast a fire-jutsu, creating a large fireplace in under ten seconds. The man sat. "It is the dying wish of the girl I love."

Konan nearly choked as she withheld the laughter that threatened to spill from her lips. "You can't be serious."

"Is it really so funny?" Obito queried as he watched his travel companion carefully with his Sharingan eyes. "It's the same for you is it not? You are driven by Yahiko's will, the will to protect the Rain and its people. I understand you better than anyone."

Konan clenched her fist, the wound on her palms giving her enough pain to resist any possible genjutsu that Obito might be casting. "You know nothing about me. I've seen what you've done. You've slaughtered people, thousands of people without a blink of an eye. You've manipulated, controlled, lied to, corrupted, killed and tortured more people than any in Shinobi history. You are an inhumane monster who lacks basic empathy, Uchiha Obito. Don't you _dare_ compare yourself to me."

Obito shrugged, picked up a stick and carelessly poked at the fire. Suddenly, he looked up. "I see you hiding there. Come into the firelight where I can better see you. If you do anything remotely suspicious, I will kill you."

Konan turned quickly. She hadn't noticed anyone behind her. She turned back to Obito. "There's no one-"

Obito raised an open palm to silence her and pointed. Konan turned back and she felt her nerves send a jolt down her spine.

A red-headed woman ambled slowly into the light of the fire, a smile on her face. "Obito! You're alive!"

Konan stood speechless. She should be dead. Kabuto had been buried under mountains of rubble, so shouldn't his Edo-Tensei have been dispelled? Did she fail to kill Kabuto?!

Before Obito could respond to the woman's ecstatic greeting, Konan spoke first. "Uzumaki Kushina. What are you doing here?"

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Obito stared into the woman's purple-ringed eyes. "If what you're saying is true, then.." He turned his glowing red Sharingan to Konan. "You weren't the one who killed Nagato."

Konan looked away. "No. That would be Yakushi Kabuto."

"Ah. Him." Obito said thoughtfully. "So Kabuto killed Nagato and you killed Kabuto. Then, you allowed the Hidden Leaf to believe that you were the one who accomplished Nagato's assassination."

Konan bit her tongue. "What of it?! Uchiha _Obito!_ "

"Please." Kushina's voice interrupted the conversation. "It's a simple misunderstanding. You shouldn't fight."

" _Uzumaki Kushina._ " Konan said bitterly. "You have no right to _speak._ Tell me, why are you heading in the direction of Konoha?"

"I.." Kushina stepped back from the woman's fiery wrath for a few moments before regaining her bearings. "I'm returning home to see my son and my husband."

To Kushina's surprised, the blue-haired woman laughed. "You're so naive. How do you even know Minato wants to see you?"

" _Minato?"_ Kushina's mind repeated the name in her head. "You mean.. you-?"

"Yes. Minato and I. He wants to move on past the pain that your absence has caused him. In fact, he's already moved on." Konan bit her tongue, Minato's rejection filling her memories.. all for _this_ woman. She raised her voice. "You're only an Edo Tensei! You will disappear the moment you see your family because your soul will leave your body! That's how it works doesn't it?!"

"I don't know wh-"

"Yes you do, Uzumaki Kushina." Konan interrupted angrily. "You know _exactly_ what I'm talking about. If you go back, you will only tear open his wounds again. I think you don't realize how hard it was for him to overcome the pain that you've caused him."

"I.." A tear threatened to fall from the red-head's eyes as she realized what she was being told. "I never thought-"

"Of course you didn't. You don't think because you don't care about the damage that you would do to him - the damage you would do to your family. It's all about you isn't it, Uzumaki Kushina? You don't care _at all_. You're a greedy, self-centered _bitch_." Konan paused to examine the effect of what she'd said and almost smiled in satisfaction at the redhead's anguish. "You don't deserve him." Konan glanced briefly at Obito whose expression remained unfazed.

Konan continued to scrutinize the redhead carefully and her voice softened - her anger seemingly spent. "If you want to see them, I won't stop you, but I would advise you keep yourself hidden. I don't care how you do it.. Unlike you, I understand Minato's pain, and I would not have you bring that upon him. If you care about them - if you care about your family, you will do as I ask."

Konan moved to a place next to the fire and sat. Kushina on the other hand remained rooted in place, the shock of her revelation cutting deep gashes into her spirit the more she contemplated it. After a few moments of silence, Obito spoke. "Uzumaki Kushina. I supposed you would be curious as to how I am still alive."

"Obito." Kushina wiped at her eyes and attempted a smile. "I heard you had died at Kannabi bridge."

"No. I did not die at Kannabi bridge." Obito shook his head, a small smile appearing on his face as he examined the woman that he'd killed. "Nor have I yet been dead. Would you like to hear me tell you about your family?"

"That would be wonderful." Kushina said and sat next to Konan, who ignored her.

Obito smiled magnanimously. "I'll assume you don't know what's happened in the past thirteen years and give you the basic outline of the events that have occurred since your death. You can ask me any questions after I finish talking. Then if you wish to stay with us for the night - we would be most honored to have you. If not, we won't hold you. Go as you see fit."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Oh? Congratulations." Kakashi poofed into existence on the Third Hokage's head and checked the flag on the stand. He looked from Naruto to the girl who accompanied him.

"So which of you set the flag?"

"I did." Naruto replied. "But Maki-chan did most of the work, so I think you should give the flag bonus to her."

"Well." Kakashi eye-smiled. "That is a kind gesture, Naruto, but my orders are quite strict. Whoever set the winning flag is to receive this month's bonus."

Naruto pouted. "But Kakashi-sensei!"

"Ah but!" Kakashi raised a finger into the air. "There are no rules that say you can't share your bonus after you've received it. If you really want to.."

Naruto jumped up and gave his Jonin-sensei a large hug. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi nodded uncomfortably. "So who's your friend there? I don't think I've ever seen her before."

"Oh this is Maki!"

"I'm Maki!"

Two voices responded at the same time with a disturbingly similar tone of cheer.

"Maki.." Kakashi tapped his masked chin in thought. "Where are you from, Maki?"

"Oh! I live next to the Hyuuga district! I'm.." The girl ducked her head as if in shame. "I'm a civilian. You must be Hatake Kakashi! I'm so excited to meet you!" The girl extended a hand forward which Kakashi shook suspiciously. "I heard you have a Sharingan under your mask. Can I see? Can I see?"

"Well." Kakashi smiled his peculiar smile and let his Sharingan into the open air. "A civilian with the capabilities of a trained Shinobi is pretty rare, Maki-chan. Who taught you?"

"My father." The girl replied. Kakashi nodded as if in understanding, his Sharingan catching every possible behavioral tell that could be discerned.

"Where are you from?"

"Oh! The Hidden Leaf of course!"

"Ah. Interesting. Have I ever met your father?"

"My father?" The girl tilted her head. "No."

"You should introduce me to him. To have imparted so much skill to so young a girl.. what's his name?"

Kakashi gleamed as his Sharingan caught a slight shift in the girl's posture and a small miniscule twitch as her lips subconsciously tried to form a frown. "His name.."

It was at this point that Naruto interrupted the interrogation. "Kakashi-sensei! Stop it! I can tell what you're doing to Maki-chan! Isn't Baa-chan expecting you to report back to her? Go away."

Kakashi slipped his mask back over his Sharingan. There was clearly something the girl was hiding, but at least she was not hostile. There was also something oddly familiar about her countenance. He couldn't quite put his finger to it and before his thoughts could further develop, the girl suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm so glad to have met you." The girl said with clear emotion in her voice.

"Maki was it?" Kakashi sighed. "I'm glad to have met you too. Have I ever told you that I disliked hugs?"

"Oh!" The girl quickly backed away. "I forgot!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. "You.. _forgot_?"

"Oh nothing. It was just something else I had in my mind."

"Ok well.." Kakashi turned to Naruto. "Come to the Hokage's office later. I think you'll like what she has for you."

Naruto cheered and made to give Kakashi another hug.

Kakashi smiled. "Take care of him, Maki-chan." The jonin gave small wave and vanished before Naruto could reach him.

"That always works." The blonde giggled. He turned. "Maki-chan, let's-"

His words were cut off as the girl pulled him into a suffocating embrace.

"Uh.. Maki-chan?"

"Naruto.." Maki squeezed him tightly, trapping his arms to his side. "I'm so glad to have met you, to have been able to spend time with you. I'm so glad. You're everything I'd hoped you would be." The girl sniffed and her voice cracked. "I'm so glad."

"Uh." Naruto stuttered awkwardly. By the sound of Maki's voice, she seemed to be on the brink of crying into his shoulder, and Naruto had no idea how to respond to the situation.

"Uh hey." Naruto said haphazardly. "I'm inviting some friends over to my house tonight. There's going to be Sasuke, Sakura-chan, and even Kakashi-sensei too. You like Kakashi-sensei right?"

The girl made no response.

"Oh! My dad will be cooking! He's really good at making food!"

"I can't go." Maki whispered.

The blonde closed his mouth. He wanted to comfort the distraught girl, but he was running out of options. Naruto wriggled his arms out from under the girl's grip and gently laid a hand on her back. "It's ok to cry."

Maki trembled at the familiar words and began to cry, burying her face into Naruto's shoulders to muffle the sound of her apparent anguish. Despite his confusion, Naruto did his best to comfort her as she clung to him like he would disappear if she let go.

* * *

-A/N-

* * *

Uzumaki

Also, there's this thing called a transformation jutsu that Naruto apparently can do better than anyone else. Maybe it's hereditary..

Hopefully this is all I'll be writing for now.. maybe not. I think I have some obsessive disorder with this fanfic. On the one hand, it's helping me to finish it, on the other I can't seem to be able to put it down. I still can't tell whether or not that's a good thing.

* * *

 **Omake - The End of the Line (Part 3)**

* * *

People ignored her as she stumbled through the village under her guise. It was nighttime and she was told that her son and her husband were at some kind of special dinner at the Uchiha's residence.

Kushina thought sadly back to the days in which she stayed overnight in Mikoto's home with the other girls. They'd talked about trivial and non-trivial things and played games together. Now Mikoto was dead. Everyone was older. Everything's changed. The new generation had long supplanted the old.

Kushina reached the gate and followed the large crowd of civilians into the Uchiha Compound. The second annual celebration of the Compound's grand opening was a vastly festive event, and the crowds extended down the Uchiha's streets as far as the eyes could see.

It was a sight Kushina had never thought possible. The Uchiha had always been a very closed community after all.

After asking around, she made her way to Mikoto's home - the place where a small private gathering was known to be hosted.

It appeared she was not alone in her endeavor. Children, curious civilians, fans and Shinobi alike, gathered on the walls to catch a glimpse of some of the Leaf's most notorious and well-known figures. Uchiha Itachi stood at the head of an outdoor table. The man sat to a round of applause, apparently having just finished some kind of speech. His brother, Uchiha Sasuke, sat at the man's side, looking up at his brother in admiration.

Kushina gasped as she saw the familiar visage of her husband. He was speaking to a blue-haired woman who held his hand in her own. Nearby, Minato's carbon copy - a pubescent boy who could be none other than Naruto - laughed loudly over a joke that an Inuzuka boy to his side had told him.

After years of anguish over the son and the village she'd thought she'd lost.. after having been emotionally shattered in every way imaginable, Kushina was finally able to let her tortured heart rest. Minato seemed to have moved on and Naruto had grown to be a happy and beautiful boy.

That knowledge was all she needed, and as her soul left the deteriorating prison that was her body, Kushina smiled - oblivious to the horror of the people around her at seeing a woman's body cracking, breaking and crumbling to dust before them. For the first time in the years since she'd been summoned back into this world, she felt well and truly at peace.


	62. (8) Family

Disclaimer: I don't own Kushina's son.

* * *

"Maki-chan." Naruto said, not wanting to make the girl unhappy. "We can't stay here forever. We have to go. Come on, everyone will want to see us. Our team won because of you."

Maki backed away, detaching herself from Naruto, who watched her retreat - an expression of puzzlement writ across his face. "Maki-chan?"

Maki turned away. "Goodbye.. Naruto. I love you." With one last sniff, the girl turned and ran.

"Wait!" Naruto called, but Maki had already disappeared in the direction of the Valley of End.

Naruto scratched his head in confusion. He felt bad that he hadn't been able to comfort the girl. He hoped he'd see her again soon. She seemed really nice and she was tons of fun to work with. Maybe they could play together again in the future. Naruto turned and began his descent down the Hokage Mountain.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

The girl ran until she she was sure that the boy was out of sight. It was enough. Seeing Naruto and knowing that Minato was alive was enough. Naruto had grown to be a fine child. She couldn't wish for more.

Kushina let her jutsu wear off, allowing the figure of Maki to disappear in a puff of smoke.

"What do you plan to do now, Kushina-senpai?"

"Obito.." Kushina looked up to see Obito standing horizontally on a cliff face.

"You've completed your goal. You've seen your son."

Kushina shook her head. "Why have I not dispelled?"

"Kushina-senpai." Obito frowned, the idiocy of the question giving him pause. "It is because you have not found peace. What is it you still desire?"

"I.." Kushina hesitated. "I want to stay with him. I want to raise my child." She looked down, guilt welling up inside her for her soul's unreasonable demands. "I want to be a part of my family."

"But you can't do that, Kushina-senpai." Obito replied. "Once you find happiness or satisfaction with your family, your soul will leave your body, leaving behind nothing but pain." Tears began falling into Kushina's lap as Obito continued speaking. "You will be able to stay with them - as long as your soul is not at peace - as long as you are unhappy or in pain. Your family will notice your pain. They will not enjoy it, that is who they are. They will suffer with you, Kushina-senpai."

"I know.."

"Then, when you finally attain happiness-"

"Obito, please. Stop!" Kushina put her hands to her ears. She already knew the truth. She didn't want to hear it. Obito stopped abruptly and after several moments of silence, Kushina dropped her hands, letting them hang limply.

"You are in quite a predicament aren't you, Kushina-senpai?" Obito remarked. "In fact, there is no outcome in which you can achieve happiness. You realize that now, don't you?"

Kushina looked into Obito's Sharingan eyes. Obito was older than she was. There was no reason for him to continue giving her the title of seniority. "Why are you here, Obito? Why did you follow me?"

Obito dropped down from the cliff face, landing lightly on his feet. "To make sure you don't do anything stupid."

"But your mission with Konan-"

"Is subsidiary."

Kushina stared listlessly at the boy who she had deemed her favorite from among Minato's students, the boy who'd murdered her and brought destruction to her village on the day she'd birthed her son. She couldn't seem to bring herself to care anymore. It all seemed so distant. She knew it was selfish - Uzumaki Kushina had never been as selfless as her husband, the Fourth Hokage, but to her, the death of a thousand villagers just could not compare to the life and happiness of one child, the life of one Uzumaki Naruto. And Naruto was _alive_.

Konan's words were true. Kushina was selfish. She wanted to be happy, to love and be loved by those she held dear. Tears once again began pooling in her eyes. She was a selfish and weak woman who couldn't even die properly, who couldn't control her emotions like a proper Shinobi and who could only cause pain to those around her. Even knowing this fact, her spirit refused to leave the mortal world. It clung to her body, tortured and unable to let go.

There was nothing she could do but cry uselessly. For the first time since she'd regained her consciousness as an Edo-Tensei, she cursed the name of Yakushi Kabuto for bringing her back to the mortal world - a world in which she'd felt nothing but pain. Worse, she would continue to feel that pain as long as she loved her husband and her son - a love she didn't think she'd ever stop bearing.

"You do realize that you are now technically an immortal. You can travel the land. With eternity ahead of you, you can perhaps even master the Rinnegan to the same level that the Sage of Six Paths himself had achieved in his time."

Kushina shook her head. "I don't care."

"You would abandon your immortality?"

"A life of eternal suffering is no life at all."

"A fair point." Obito smiled. "Have you ever thought about the possibility of reviving yourself?"

Kushina looked up into Obito's eyes. "I don't know how."

"I have a proposal." Obito said with the smile still on his face. "I can teach you how to use the Rinne-Tensei to bring yourself back to life. In exchange you give me the Rinnegan."

"Is that possible?"

"Contrary to what Kabuto has told you, the Rinne Tensei has its limits. According to what I've learned from Madara, I believe you will only be given one chance to cast the Rinne-Tensei, sacrificing the life of the body your Edo Tensei soul currently inhabits. In exchange, the body you originally had will be returned to you."

"And then I give you the Rinnegan? How can I trust you?"

"You can't.. but consider this: I am many times more powerful than you are, even if you have the Rinnegan." Obito offered a hand. "If I was truly of wicked intent, I'd have sealed you with Mokuton and taken your eyes forcefully. I ask you to give me the Rinnegan willingly. In exchange, I teach you how to give yourself true incarnation."

Kushina paused. If she agreed, Obito would take her eyes and she would be blinded for the rest of her life. It was a small cost - one which she was willing to pay. She reached out and took Obito's offered hand. "Please. Teach me how to perform the jutsu."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Obito watched with horror as the Rinnegan unexpectedly disintegrated into dust along with the woman's Edo-Tensei body. As the old flesh crumbled, a new body began to form, giving the soul a place to inhabit.

When the Jutsu was done, Obito stared despondently into Kushina's violet and perfectly normal eyes. Kushina stared back at Obito with less than perfect vision and a distinct inability to see Chakra.

"I'm sorry, Obito, I don't know what happened. The Rinnegan just disappeared and-"

"Uzumaki Kushina." Obito interrupted, his fists tightening at his side. While he no longer desired the Rinnegan for its original purpose, there was still one thing he needed to use it for. Obito's body tensed tightly as he barely managed to suppress the sudden urge to kill the extremely inept and selfish redhead to whom his idiotic conscience had wanted to atone for having murdered thirteen years back. It had been impulsive and very stupid on his part in hindsight. He should've just torn the eyes out of her head. His one act of kindness had lost him both the Rinnegan and his final wish.. all for one _stupid_ woman.

"Obito.." Kushina frowned. "I-"

" _Leave._ " Obito growled as he stared up into the darkening sky. "Go enjoy your life."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Naruto set the tables for the guests. There would be a plate for Lee, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi-sensei. In addition, Sakura had invited Ino and Sasuke's brother had asked to come along so extra arrangements had to be made.

Following the smell of food, Sasuke walked over from the living room to the sight of Minato-sensei washing some pans while Naruto set the table.

"Naruto. Do you need help?"

Naruto grinned. "Nah. It's alright.. actually.." He paused in thought. "We'll probably be serving buffet style since there's not enough room on the dining table for all of us."

"Yup." Minato confirmed as scraped a spinach-dish into one of the many large bowls on the counter. "Naruto. Why don't you go stay with our guests? I'll call all of you when I'm done."

"But I wanna help!"

"You've done enough." Minato replied. "Your garlic chicken and potatoes will be impeccable. I'll just finish up my dishes, and when the rice is done, I'll call you." He looked meaningfully at both Naruto and Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded. "Alright. Naruto, Itachi is playing shogi with Kakashi. Everyone's watching. Come on."

"Oh really?!" Naruto took off his apron and set it on the back of one of the chairs. "I wanna see!"

Minato smiled and shook his head as he set up the dishes in a neat line. Naruto was the pride of his life. He was happy to be blessed with such a wonderful son. If Kushina were here, she would feel the same. His smile faltered.

There was a sudden knock on the door. _Another guest?_

"I'll get it!" Naruto yelled as he ran to the door from the living room.

"Lee! You're late!" Naruto accused loudly.

"Naruto! I apologize!" Lee bowed. "I was in the midst of a most youthful training and I had completely forgotten the time!" Lee bowed again. "I apologize!"

"Rock Lee." Minato called from the kitchen. "Come in. You're right on time, dinner's about to.." The man trailed off.

Naruto turned. "Dad, what?"

Minato slowly lowered the steaming dish of dumplings he held in his hand onto the kitchen counter. "I have something I have to do." He said calmly. "Naruto, serve the guests."

"Ok." Naruto replied. His dad instantly vanished.

Naruto turned to Lee who bowed again. "Thank you for allowing me into this abode of youth!" He yelled.

"Oh god, is that _Rock Lee?!"_ Ino's voice yelled from the living room. "Baka! Why'd you invite Rock Lee?!"

"Cuz he's awesome that's why!" Naruto yelled back as Lee removed his shoes.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Kushina slowly walked up the stairs to her old apartment. Thirteen years had passed since she last walked these stairs. One of the things she noticed upon returning to the village was that much of its infrastructure had changed. The Nine-tails' attack had evidently left much to be repaired. Even so, most of the village had been untouched. The familiar set of stairs up which she was walking, was one example of that.

She felt grateful to Obito. Grateful for the opportunity he'd given her.. grateful for the sacrifice he'd made. As she reached the top steps of the second floor and began walking past the doors to various apartment rooms, she couldn't help but sympathize with the Uchiha. ' _Leave'_ he'd told her. It was a request to which she couldn't acquiesce in good conscience. He'd done so much for her. After half an hour of coaxing and truncated conversation, she was finally able to draw him out of his shell. Apparently, Obito had wanted to sacrifice himself to bring Nohara Rin back to life. There was nothing she could say to that. All she could do was thank him and apologize.

It was at that point when Obito had pushed her away and vanished. The fact that she hadn't been able to comfort him made her feel horrible. He'd granted her greatest wish, unknowingly sacrificing his own in the process. It was a debt she felt she could never repay. Still.. she was glad that Obito didn't have to die. Kushina swore to do her utmost to give to Uchiha Obito the recompense he deserved.  
With that resolve in mind, the redhead buried her thoughts and resumed her previous pace. She walked step by step, rising ever higher toward her destination. A pang of nostalgia shot through her as she moved through the familiar setting. Everything around her made her feel warm and at home.. the same evening air, the same nighttime setting, the same set of crooked stairs which she'd climbed a thousand times before.

As she admired the familiar steps under her feet, Kushina unwittingly collided against someone. She caught her balance and started to bow. "I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where.. I.. I was.. I-"

Kushina froze in utter shock at the sight of the man before her, her words falling to pieces.

The two stared silently at each other, each absorbing the sight of the other.

Neither seemed inclined to speak.

Slowly, the man raised a hand up to her cheeks. His fingers paused millimeters from her face. He was afraid to touch her, afraid that she would disappear like she did every time he thought he saw her.

"Minato.." Kushina took the man's wrist and pressed his palm firmly against her face.

The blonde trembled at the touch. "Kushina.."

Kushina smiled as the voice sent an electric pulse through her heart.

"It's really you isn't it?" Minato asked cautiously, praying to everything that this wasn't an elaborate hoax - hoping beyond hope that the woman before her wasn't a sham or another phantom. He needed her to be real. She had to be real.

Releasing his hand, Kushina stared into her love's pained expression. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him in a tight hug. "It's really me."

Minato took a few moments to process her words. Briefly, he wondered if he was under a genjutsu, and he flared his Chakra to disprove the theory. Minato slowly let his own arms circle around her back. She _felt_ real, in every sense. It was possible that this was one of the more powerful Genjutsu - the type that could not be disrupted by all but the largest of Chakra-flares, but he didn't care. Minato laughed and lifted the woman off her feet as tears of joy trailed fast down his eyes. Illusion or not, he was holding his wife in his arms. "Kushina! It's really you isn't it?"

Kushina laughed with him and cried the same tears. "It's really me!"

The redhead's response sent shocks of hope tingling to the very tips of his fingers. "It's really you!" He spun quickly in place on the small 70 centimeter-wide step on which he stood and set his wife down two steps higher.

"It's really me!" Kushina cried, still laughing in unison with the man who stood before her.

Minato stared into her familiar violet eyes. He could feel her, even his sensory-abilities were telling him that she was real. "It's really you.." He half-whispered, still seemingly in shock.

"It's really me." Kushina stepped down, cupped her husband's cheeks in her hands and pressed her lips onto his, kissing him furiously as she circled her arms around his neck.

He held her tight against him - willing her to remain in his grasp. A feeling of fear wrenched at his guts. If she disappeared now, his heart would shatter. They parted briefly and Minato took his wife's shoulder, pushing her against the building's walls with a light thud. He took her lips into his own and kissed her with the same passion that she had exhibited previously.

They parted and Minato drank in the sight of his long-dead wife with a look of disbelief painted across his face. Kushina simply stared back breathlessly with a rosy color tinting her cheeks.

Minato began to weep. "I've missed you, Kushina. I've missed you so much."

Kushina smiled as she gently traced her fingers across the man's eyes and down his cheeks.

"Uzumaki Kushina." Minato's voice cracked as he made a poor effort to contain his tears. "It's really you isn't it?"

"Namikaze Minato." Kushina gave her beloved husband another crushing embrace as she began to cry tears of her own. "It's really me."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

From the living room, the sounds of the Genin's banter could be heard loudly throughout the apartment. In the dining room sat two of the Leaf's four Sharingan-users. The host had vanished for some vague obligation of sorts and Naruto had decided to start serving the food since it was unclear when or whether or not the Fourth would return.

"I believe we've yet to talk since our last encounter." Itachi noted conversationally as he carefully ingested a leaf of spinach.

Kakashi looked up slowly from the book he was reading, mask firmly in place. "No, I don't believe we have, Uchiha Itachi." He let his eye drop back onto the pages.

Itachi stared at his brother's Jonin-sensei. "My offer stands."

Kakashi was deliberately silent for several seconds before glancing up once more from his book. "I have no desire to become an honorary Uchiha thank you very much."

"Is that what you'd call it?"

Kakashi chuckled sardonically. "I wouldn't call it anything else."

"I see." Itachi took a sip of tea. "Are you averse to food, Hatake Kakashi?"

"OoooOOOH!" Rock Lee shouted at the top of his voice from the living room. "Naruto-kun! My respect for you has increased threefold! This chicken is the very embodiment of youth! It is absolutely the best-"  
The sound of a crash echoed out, followed by the even louder sound of Haruno Sakura's voice. "MY GOD LEE, SHUT UP!"

Kakashi turned a page without batting an eye, ignoring the interruption. "What makes you think that, Uchiha Itachi?"

Before Itachi could respond, the front door was suddenly opened. The host of the gathering walked in with a woman following closely behind him. Kakashi swiveled his chair around on one leg. "Minato-sensei, where've you been?"

Kakashi bolted upright, his chair clattering to the floor as recognition dawned in his eye. "You have got to be fucking kidding me."

"Kakashi!" Kushina smiled happily as the group of Genin entered the area from the living room. "It's me, Maki!"

"That's Maki?" Ino whispered to Sakura.

"That's not Maki." Sakura shook her head. "Maki's a little girl."

"Maki?" Naruto asked incredulously under his breath.

Minato put his hands on Kushina's shoulders with a jubilant smile. "Kakashi, Naruto! You won't believe this! I don't know why but she was standing outside. I felt her chakra so I went to verify that it was her and she's real! She's really real!"

Kakashi let out a breath of disbelief as his meeting with the strange girl named Maki suddenly clicked. "It was you.."

Naruto stared at the woman who he'd seen in various pictures. "You're my mom."

Minato's hands dropped from his wife's shoulders as she ran to scoop her son in her arms, lifting him off the floor in a loving embrace. "I thought I'd never see you again.. Naruto."

"Mom." Naruto breathed as he started to fully process the identity of the energetic girl with whom he and the others had spent the day playing Ninja Flag Capture. "You came after all, Maki-chan."

"I did." Kushina replied, still holding her son in her arms. "And I'm staying."

* * *

-Author's Note-

* * *

So what happens next in the story? I suppose I could leave that up to your imagination, but here's what I imagine:

Asuma and Kurenai get married and settle down in the Uchiha Compound. Kushina is seamlessly re-introduced to her village and has settled down with her family with whom she is extremely happy. Naruto's skills flourish under his parent's teachings, and -even though the Nine-tails never talks to him again- Naruto becomes one of the happiest and well-loved people in the Hidden Leaf. Sasuke and Naruto become closer than blood-brothers, a relationship which Sakura sometimes gets jealous over. She's Sasuke's girlfriend for crying out loud, why is Sasuke spending more time with Naruto?! Itachi gets some ideas about Sasuke's relationship(s).

The Uchiha clan compound is integrated back into the village, its lands reopened for use and - for the first time since its creation - the streets of the Uchiha's massive territory within the Hidden Leaf was open up to the rest of the citizens. Itachi receives many admirers looking to marry one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the Land of Fire. Itachi, of course, is very selective and so far none of the women he's encountered has passed his standards. Exactly what those standards entail has still yet to be ascertained.

In the Hidden Rain, most of the Shinobi allowed for the installation of their new leader after learning of the death of their God, Of course, the civilians rejoiced. The old system was torn down along with a tiny faction of fanatics. With it came a better system of more efficient production and distribution. With the aid of the Leaf, the Hidden Rain was able to solicit the support that it needed to stand back up on its own. With regards to the resistance against the 'puppet-leader' Konan personally smashed one of the stronger resistance groups (secretly with the help of Obito). The event was published widely and served as a show of force which instantaneously quelled the rest of the dissenters. In the end, the Hidden Leaf's intervention was minimal.

Obito stayed a short time in the Hidden Leaf, despised by many, loved by none, appreciated by few. Several months after the return of Uzumaki Kushina, he leaves the village. He eventually settles down in the Hidden Rain - something which only few people are aware of (including the Hokage, the Fourth, and Jiraiya of the Sannin)

Out in the Northwest, Iwa extends aid to the rebuilding of Kumo and its new Raikage - Yugito Nii. In addition, Kumo establishes an alliance with the Hidden Mist, whose leadership was headed by Yagura. The Mizukage and the Raikage were in good relations. This caused some rumors about a 'secret relationship' to be spread among gossipers who have nothing better to do with their time..

As for Jiraiya - the first few weeks of Uzumaki Kushina's sudden and unexpected return sent him flying back to the Hidden Leaf in an ecstatic mood. Jiraiya later settles down temporarily in the Hidden Rain to act as teacher and advisor to the nation's new leader.

And well.. there are simply too many people and lives for me to cover each and every one. Some were able to achieve happiness, others were not. I'll leave it at that.

I want to thank all of you, especially the ones who stayed with me throughout the entire writing process. Every word of encouragement, critique and suggestion helped me shape the story to where it is at right now. I would not be as motivated to finish my story without your support. I can't thank you wonderful people enough for giving me that motivation and encouragement.

Uhm. How about a shoutout to my top three favorite readers? Yeah! Let's do that!

BMN, my university roommate and friend, for following the process of my story and discussing ideas on the Third's Will and fanfic in general with me. He is awesome and deserves to know that.

MugetsuIchigo, one of the more friendly and committed readers to my fic that I know of. I looked forward to his thoughts on my chapters, and am very happy he stayed with me up to this point. He's also the reviewer who I feel I've gotten most close to (other than BMN). He breaths life to the review section and I thank him for that. Much love!  
(Oh also, Mugi - out of curiosity - did you catch the Bleach references? X3)

Angel Hatake, for staying with me so long and making that known to me via your reviews. What I learned from her is that simple compliments come a long way in terms of making people's day better - including mine. Many thanks!~

For everyone else who read through the Third's Will, I am so very happy that I was able to write for you. I don't think there is any greater compliment to an author than to have others enjoy his/her writing, and a lot of you gave that compliment to me in spades.. I can't thank you enough.

To anyone curious about the Omake series - **the End of the Line** , it was the tragedy-ish ending I originally had planned. The point of deviation, of course, was at Nagato's death. I decided to throw it out because of the desire that several reviewers have expressed for a happy ending and well.. you know.. I was kind of a sappy wishy-wash on the entire thing and I ended up letting you awesome people tip the scales for me.

Well.. I suppose this is the end. That was my ramble. I am marking the Third's Will for completion.

~Mittens out


	63. (9) Fluffilogue

Disclaimer: I didn't know if I wanted to post this, since I'd already marked the story for completion but meh. It's already written so whatever.

* * *

Rays of light blazed through the white curtains of his bedroom window, causing his eyes to shoot open. He stared for a few moments at the ceiling as his awareness returned to him. With that awareness came the ever-present phantom of _her_

He'd dreamed that she'd returned home, dreamed that she'd somehow came back to life. He'd dreamed of holding her, of kissing her and of laughing with her. Then, when he'd taken her home, she'd collected Naruto in her arms in exactly the way he'd expected she would. It had all been so vivid, but it couldn't be real. Why ever would Uzumaki Kushina be alive? It was wishful thinking on his part. In fact, it was more likely that he'd been pulled into a Genjutsu - a really nice Genjutsu.

Minato sighed and turned toward the presence beside him and stared at the impossible illusion. It couldn't be her laying right there, next to him.. it was impossible. He fought against his anxiety as he prepared to do what he knew he had to do.

This was only an illusion of happiness. Kushina was dead. He would never see her again.

"Kushina." He whispered as he traced a hand over her cheeks. The redhead groaned and pulled the covers over her head, causing spears of pain to lance through his heart.

Minato turned away. He marked a seal against his eyelids. With a concentrated burst, he consumed half his Chakra. The air tremored in a small radius around the entire apartment complex.

Immediately outside, several birds took to the air on instinct, scared by the explosion of Chakra that spread through the surrounding area.

Minato looked around. He was still sitting in his bed and..

Beside him, Kushina poked her head out of the blanket with another groan. "There are better ways to wake me you know."

Minato let out a brief laugh and pulled the redhead into his arms. "You're not an illusion!" He cried.

"No. I'm not." Kushina replied softly, a little bit confused by the blonde's odd behavior. "How about you let me get dressed?"

Minato chuckled as he continued to hold his wife against him, the reality of the night before sinking in deep into every fiber of his being. "How about no?"

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

A peal of laughter echoed from his parent's room, and Naruto promptly shoved a cold dumpling into his mouth, chewing as loudly as he could.

For what felt like the hundredth time since the night before, Naruto reassured himself that nothing was happening and that his imagination was simply going off kilter.

He didn't want to think about any other alternative. Naruto frowned as another even more discomfiting noise emitted from his parent's room.

How had Sakura put it when Lee was exploring the apartment? The acoustics of the place were too damned good?

"The acoustics of this place are too damned good." Naruto said to himself.

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

"Good morning. Naruto." Minato said with a carefree smile. "You're up early. It's only 6:30 in the morning."

"Did you make your own breakfast?" Kushina asked.

"No. I'm eating last night's dinner." Naruto shook his head before dropping his voice to a mutter. "And I couldn't sleep with all the noise."

Kushina froze as a flush crept up her cheeks. Slowly, she turned an accusing look at her husband who was similarly frozen in place. "I thought you said you put up a seal."

"I did." Minato frowned as he put himself back into motion and moved to reheat the previous night's meal. "Naruto.. what…" he paused hesitantly. "What did you hear?"

Naruto jammed the last bamboo shoot into his mouth and stood. "I'm going to see if Sasuke is awake. Bye mom! Bye dad!" The boy swiftly ran out the front door and vanished into the streets, leaving his parents to stare after him with apprehension.

"Minato go check that 'seal' right now!"

"Ah! Right away!" Minato dropped the pot he was holding onto the stove.

Kushina sighed and walked into the kitchen to finish from where he'd left off. After less than fifteen seconds, Minato was back in the dining commons. "There's nothing wrong with the seal.."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." Minato replied. "Did you hear me yell your name from the room?"

"You did?"

"Yes."

Kushina pouted slightly. "No. I didn't hear you."

"So the seal's working perfectly." Minato opened the fridge to retrieve a couple eggs. "If Naruto can hear us.." he trailed off.

"You mean he _countered_ your seal?"

"Apparently. He probably has the counterseal somewhere on his person."

Forgetting her earlier embarrassment, Kushina lit the fire on the stove before her, turned and pulled her flabbergasted husband into an ecstatic embrace. "Our son's a genius!" she exclaimed proudly.

Minato grinned and patted her head with one of the eggs in his hands. "I know."

* * *

-Intermission-

* * *

Naruto smirked as he made his way into the Uchiha compound. Sasuke still hadn't figured out that he'd made a counterseal against his wards. It made things much too easy.. maybe he should tell his friend about the counterseal..

Naruto had a sudden thought and he pulled up his sleeve to glare at the other counterseal that he'd made several months back for a completely different purpose. "Oh." He muttered to himself simply and then shrugged as he slipped into Sasuke's room undetected.

The Uchiha lay fast asleep in his bed and Naruto's face lit up with sheer anticipation.

Across Sasuke's room, Itachi was pulling on a T-shirt when Sasuke's voice suddenly rang aloud. " _NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL! GET OUT OF MY ROOM!_ "

Itachi shook his head and smiled as Naruto's laughter echoed through the house. Sliding open his room's door, he prepared to encounter the intrusion. The Fourth's son or not, one does not simply break into the Uchiha's home without repercussion. As he made his way to Sasuke's door, he heard Naruto chattering with his brother.

Itachi paused silently to listen to the friendly banter within. _What nice acoustics we have_.


End file.
